Dr. Claudio Cerullo discusses anti bullying principles and strategies

The strategy must ensure better quality of data on bullying, improve policy and practice in preventing bullying and dealing with incidents, help children and young people to get along better together, and that young people must be at the heart of these initiatives that affect their lives.

The Anti Bullying Strategy is an implementation plan of the Children's Single Plan. Within the needs analysis for the plan, young people as their second most serious concern raised bullying at 35%. This has fallen to 31% in 2005/6 survey and is below the London Average of 33%. Their highest concern was fear of crime. Bullying was an issue with younger children in the survey, but as they got older it became fear of crime. This has been interpreted as young people become more independent the issues of how young people treat each other and move out of school as they as young people as out of home more. Thus what is called Bullying or fear of crime has as it core how young people treat each other. The anti bullying work in schools therefore also crosses over into personal safety and prevention of youth crime work outside schools. This strategy looks at school related bullying, but references anti social behavior work where it links in.
A bullying survey

Exclusions for bullying are low; however exclusions for pupil on pupil violence are much higher and may contain some incidents of bullying. There is no single survey of bullying to provide any base line of reported incidents. Schools log bullying in schools and some schools have conducted their own surveys leading to in school action plans.
Builds on successful practice

This Anti Bullying strategy builds on the successful work to combat bullying and build resilience amongst young people. Examples of this success so far are:

* Local Authority Anti – Bullying Guidance.
* All school Anti – Bullying and anti bullying work as part of whole authority conferences
* SEAL – Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning Curriculum piloted in Merton as part of the Primary Behavior Strategy
* Pupil voice and peer support – Lots of bullying happens in front of other young people; bullying solutions are also about how young people build and maintain peer relationships.
* Safer Schools Partnerships in 2 secondary schools.
* Beat Bullying pilot in Mitcham Vale in 2005/6.
* Restorative Justice work in one secondary and Melrose EBSD school.
* Best Practice from the Anti – Bullying alliance and working with experienced anti – bullying organization such as Beatbullying.