Memorandum submitted by Anti-Bullying
Alliance
SUMMARY
Bullying remains a significant concern for children
and young people, school staff and parents and carers. Bullying
has a disproportionate affect on vulnerable groups and it leads
to poor educational and social outcomes for those who are bullied
and for those who bully.
Whilst there has been significant support for
anti-bullying work over the years there is still much to do. ABA
presents the following key messages to the Select Committee to
consider in their analysis:
— There has been significant progress made
in the past 10 years on protecting children from bullying. There
should be continued support for a whole school focus on tackling
bullying in order to secure this progress aligned with new thinking
on how to stop bullying outside of school occurring including
cyberbullying and on journeys.
— There is potential within the curriculum
to teach knowledge about bullying and related issues and to develop
skills and competencies that can reduce the likelihood and impact
of bullying behaviour occurring.
— Responding to bullying needs to be seen
within both mainstream behaviour management and child protection
contexts. Responses should be drawn from a sound understanding
of how to apply the school's own behaviour management processes
in general as well as knowledge of specific techniques that are
effective in bullying cases including the use of restorative approaches.
— The role of Ofsted in monitoring children's
safety to learn and develop as well as compliance with equalities
legislation and law relating to child protection must be upheld.
— Better and more systematic data collection
and analysis at school level in relation to bullying is an imperative
that should be supported.
— The role of external agencies in providing
specialist support to schools must be maintained by local government
commissioners and planners.
2. ABOUT THE
ANTI-BULLYING
ALLIANCE (ABA)
The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) was founded
by the NSPCC and National Children's Bureau (NCB) in 2002. It
brings together over 70 voluntary and statutory organisations
with the aim of reducing bullying and creating safer environments,
in which children and young people can live, grow, play and learn
and has been instrumental in supporting bullying prevention in
schools and the wider community and developing best practice relating
to bullying since inception.
3. INFORMATION
FOR THE
COMMITTEE
3.1 Bullying remains a significant issue for
children and young people in schools
The Longitudinal Study of Young People in England
(LSYPE)[159]
found that 47% of young people report being bullied at age 14.
In the Tellus4 survey[160]
28.8% of children reported having been bullied in school during
the previous 12 months. Of these 23% were bullied most days, and
11% every day. 26% of children reported that their school deals
not very well or badly with bullying. The Children's Society,
Good Childhood Report[161]
found that bullying was a top concern for children and young people.
18% of all calls to Childline from 2007-2008 were related to bullying.
3.2 Bullying has a negative affect on attainment
and attendance
The LSYPE also showed that young people who
reported being bullied had lower Key Stage 4 scores than other
young people. They were more likely to leave full time education
at the age of 16, and were particularly likely to be NEET.
A survey for Beatbullying[162]
found that a third of truants stay away from school because of
bullying. 72% of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults reported[163]
a history of absenteeism at school due to homophobic harassment.
3.3 Bullying has a disproportionate effect
on vulnerable groups
The LSYPE found that characteristics associated
with being bullied include being female (although boys were more
likely to report physical types of bullying), being white, having
a religion the young person felt to be important to them, having
a SEN or disability, having been in care, living in a step family,
being a young carer or having changed school at age 14-15. Research
carried out by Mencap[164]
found that eight out of 10 children with a learning disability
had been bullied, six out of 10 had been physically hurt. 40%
of those who had told an adult about the bullying said it still
did not stop.
A report[165]
from the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England concluded
children with disabilities or visible medical conditions can be
twice as likely to be bullied as other children. In the biggest
ever survey[166]
of LGB young people, 65% had experienced bullying in school (75%
in faith schools). 30% said the person doing the bullying was
an adult.
A review of the effectiveness of measures to
protect children with SEN and disabilities undertaken by ABA will
confirm the vulnerability to bullying of these children is very
significant.[167]
3.4 Bullying prevention is key if schools
are to meet their duties under equality law
The Equality Act 2010 requires that schools
take steps to prevent discrimination, harassment or victimisation
of staff and children and young people with protected characteristics.
This means schools need to take measures to protect staff and
pupils from bullying related to disability, homophobic bullying,
transphobic bullying, sexist and sexual bullying, and bullying
related to race and religion.
3.5 Cyberbullying is a significant concern
An ABA study[168]
of 227 10 and 11 year olds showed that 1 in 5 had been cyberbullied
in the past 12 months. 22% did not know how to protect themselves
online, and 18% had been cyberbullied while at home. 40% of children
were using social networking sites sometimes, 19% were using them
a lot. A poll of 1,163 parents found that over half had not talked
to their children about cyberbullying, and 45% did not know how
to report abuse online. A report of the online safety practice
of over 500 schools in the South West region[169]
showed that the policy and pratice of primary schools is considerably
less developed than secondary schools. The report also showed
a signficant lack of teacher training in this area across both
primary and secondary schools.
3.6 Sexual and sexist bullying is an emerging
concern
There is an emerging concern about harmful sexual
behaviour between some children and young people, including sexual
and sexist bullying. Recent research suggests exploitation and
violence may be alarmingly common in intimate relationships involving
under 16s. 75% of girls report emotional violence, one in three
girls and 16% of boys report sexual violence, and 25% of girls
and 18% of boys report physical violence.[170]
Exclusions data for 2008/2009[171]
showed that there were 110 permanent exclusions from secondary
schools and 10 permanent exclusions from primary schools for sexual
misconduct.
3.7 Bullying on journeys to and from school
is a significant issue
The Tellus4 survey found that 24% of children
reported being bullied outside of school (including the journey
to school) in the last four weeks. 11% of children reported feeling
a bit unsafe or very unsafe going to and from school. A recent
British Youth Council and NCB survey[172]
of under 18s found that only 27% feel safe waiting for transport
after dark.
3.8 Domestic violence impacts on bullying
and behaviour in schools
750,000 children and young people see violence
going on at home every year in the UK.[173]
A recent study from researchers at the University of Washington
(UW) and Indiana University,[174]
found that children who were exposed to violence in the home engaged
in higher levels of physical bullying than children who were not
witnesses to such behaviour. The study is one of the first in
the United States to specifically examine the association between
child exposure to domestic violence and involvement in bullying.
4. RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR ACTION
4.1 Continued support for a whole school focus
on tackling bullying
ABA recommends that maintaining a whole-school
focus on tackling bullying is effective. An example—the
Olweus Bullying Prevention Programme, has now been implemented
in hundreds of schools in Norway and the US. Studies in Norway
showed this achieved a 50% reduction in the number of bullying
incidents, 20% in South Carolina.
In a systematic review of the effectiveness
of programmes to reduce school bullying, researchers[175]
found school-based programmes are often effective, and elements
of lead to a decrease in bullying and victimization. ABA has developed
a school assessment tool that supports schools in measuring their
progress in developing their approach. ABA recommends this tool,
or similar tools are promoted to schools to support their work.
4.2 Use of the curriculum to teach about bullying
and related issues, and to develop skills and competencies that
combat bullying behaviour
ABA supports the use of the curriculum in teaching
about bullying. Issues relating to bullying can be addressed through
all curriculum subjects. Competencies that combat bullying behaviour
through improving emotional literacy and resilience have been
delivered through the SEAL programme and Personal, Social, Health
and Economic (PSHE) education including Sex and Relationships
Education (SRE).
ABA recommends schools should continue to utilise
teaching and learning and the curriculum as key responses to issues
of bullying, harassment and discrimination.
4.3 Promoting the use of specific and general
approaches to respond to bullying
ABA understands that a school that can manage
behaviour well is in a good position to manage and resolve bullying
when it occurs.
For incidents of bullying, schools should develop
a relationship between their existing strategies for general behaviour
management (including graded sanctions) and specific responses
that may be suited to resolving bullying issues including those
based on restorative principles.
Restorative approaches ensure that victims of
bullying feel supported in showing the impact of bullying, while
perpetrators are able to learn about the affect of their actions
and make positive change—whilst exclusion is clearly a response
that schools must be empowered to use if necessary, it can be
argued that it offers limited room for restoration and change.
Restorative approaches also make it possible for staff to consider
some of the motivation behind acts of bullying—there may
be wider issues within the school community that are impacting
on bullying behaviour (eg retaliation and discrimination).
A report from the Department of Justice[176]
in the US emphasizes the danger of simple "zero tolerance"
exclusion policies in tackling bullying. The report says that
such an approach "may result in a high level of suspensions
without full comprehension of how behavior needs to and can be
changed. It does not solve the problem of the bully, who typically
spends more unsupervised time in the home or community if suspended
or expelled."
4.4 Supporting the role of Ofsted in monitoring
compliance with equalities legislation and law relating to child
protection
While the majority of schools act against discrimination
and harassment there are still some schools where this is not
made a priority. The Tellus4 survey found that a quarter of pupils
report their school deals not very well or badly with bullying.
The ABA strongly recommends that government continue to support
the role of Ofsted in monitoring compliance with equalities legislation
and the prevention and response to bullying as a vital area of
child protection.
4.5 Promoting data collection in relation
to bullying
Unless schools regularly collect and analyse
data relating to bullying it is very difficult to measure levels
of bullying or evidence the impact of interventions. The two areas
of data collection that the ABA recommends are the recording of
bullying incidents, and regular pupil perception surveys. The
discontinuation of the Tellus survey will now make it difficult
for schools and local areas to assess their progress against national
benchmarks.
Many schools are utilising existing technology
to capture and analyse incidents. One model is the extension of
the SIMS data programme to include bullying incidents. With all
types of bullying it is vital that schools are able to identify
and record when a criminal offence has been committed—from
hate crime to harassment and assault, and refer the incident on
to the appropriate agency.
Government should consider how to engage ABA
member organisations in a wider discussion on how the anti-bullying
sector's considerable knowledge around this issue can be made
more widely available to schools.
4.6 Supporting workforce development in this
area
In a recent Anti-bullying Alliance survey[177]
of local authority anti-bullying leads, 75% local authorities
represented in the survey were delivering annual teacher training
in anti-bullying work.
However, they indicate that in the current economic
climate, many LA s will not be able to afford to offer this development
to their schools.
The ABA is also concerned that initial teacher
training offers very little in the area of bullying as part of
covering approaches to behaviour management. The ABA recommends
that government reviews the inclusion of training around issues
of bullying in initial teacher training, and the ongoing training
of staff. This is vital if teachers are to be educated in complex
areas such as cyberbullying and the bullying of vulnerable groups—and
will support the reasonable steps that schools need to ensure
staff comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010.
The ABA recommends that training for school
Governors in handling issues relating to bullying is better profiled.
The ABA has recently worked with Governors from primary, secondary
and special schools to produce a guide about bullying. They reported
that they are often in receipt of parental complaints about bullying—complaints
that are complex and difficult to resolve, and can sometimes result
in escalation through the local authority or even to the Secretary
of State for Education.
4.7 Supporting the role of external agencies
in providing specialist support to schools
Bullying behaviour can be complex and difficult
to manage. There are times where access to specialist intervention
is vital—such as with cases of sexual bullying. There may
also be a need for particular support for children who are vulnerable
to bullying, or who have been damaged by bullying—and similarly
there may be a need for ongoing intervention for children who
display bullying behaviour. Currently the external agencies that
offer support to schools include a range of local authority staff
(eg educational psychology, Connexions, behaviour support, equality
and diversity workers, child and adolescent mental health), and
the voluntary sector. Evidence suggests that it is more beneficial
to involve those agencies whose primary role is to address disruptive
behaviours rather than generic agencies like the police.[178]
The ABA recommends that local government continues to support
external agencies in providing specialist support to schools where
necessary.
4.8 Involving parents and carers in anti-bullying
work and supporting parents with concerns about bullying
Researchers find that there is evidence that
good quality parent training and education reduces bullying and
disruptive behaviour.[179]
Bullying behaviour is not limited to schools, and can follow children
home via the use of "cybertechnology" to bully and harass.
Parents and carers have a key role in educating
their children about the effects of bullying and promoting positive
behaviour in the home and the wider community. We also know that
domestic violence in the home has a significant impact on bullying
behaviour in schools. The ABA recommends that support for parent
training and education is reviewed, and that consideration is
given to the ways that cross government strategies to support
positive parenting, marriage and relationships and to prevent
domestic violence, can also impact on bullying behaviour in schools.
ABA recommends there is action to ensure parents
understand the legal duties of all types of school to prevent
and respond to bullying, to promote equality and to prevent discrimination
and harassment.
Parents should be required to support the efforts
of the school in preventing and responding to bullying, promoting
equality and preventing discrimination and harassment.
Schools, local authorities and government spend
significant amounts of time responding to parental complaints
in relation to bullying. In June 2008, the ABA held a national
conference on "Supporting Parents and Carers to Tackle Bullying".
The conference brought together head teachers,
commissioners, education welfare officers, local authority anti
bullying leads as well as parents and young people. One of the
key recommendations from the conference was for independent mediation
services to be provided to support parents, carers, pupils and
schools with complaints about bullying. The delegates at the ABA
conference (2008) agreed that this service would be most effective
if independent of the school and local authority, engaging the
trust of all parties.
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