Where we are now:

• Children and young people tell us that they are concerned about bullying
• Children and young people with disabilities, additional needs, those from minority groups and those looked after are more likely than others to be bullied and face discrimination
• Children and young people tell us that disruptive behaviour in school reduces their enjoyment and achievement in the classroom
• In two of the five secondary schools inspected in 2003/04, pupils' freedom from bullying, racism and other forms of harassment was judged to be no better than satisfactory
• OfSTED's inspection of the local authority in May 2004 found that its support for behaviour in schools was unsatisfactory and poorly regarded by them
• Children and young people are often portrayed negatively within their communities and by the media (7% of press stories about young people are negative)

Why is this a priority?

• There is a strong association between bullying and discrimination and the health, education achievement and emotional well being of children and young people
• It is important that children and young people grow up with a sense of respect for others, learning how to resolve conflict, developing good social skills and positive relationships that they may take into adult life
• There is a need for policies on combating bullying to be implemented and monitored by all partners and organisations working with children and young people
• This issue requires a range of services to provide preventative support and have inter-agency policies and procedures agreed
• Information needs to be shared effectively across services and professionals working with children and young people
• Early identification and intervention will reduce the need for referrals to specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
• Community and media perceptions of young people should reflect reality to ensure that all young people are treated fairly and with respect by adults

What we will do:

• Reduce children and young people's experience of bullying behaviour
• Reduce children and young people's experience of discriminatory behaviour
• Ensure that children, young people and their carers are informed about key risks to safety and how to deal with them
• Ensure that there are effective ways of knowing the whereabouts of vulnerable children and young people, particularly those who go missing, and those out of school
• Work with partner agencies to increase the resources available for and accessibility to treatment programmes for those who pose a risk to/offend against children

Further information is available on the anti-bullying website.

If you have any concerns regarding bullying make an appointment with your child's school/setting to talk about your concerns.