No Bullies On Buses
Cardiff Council’s anti-bullying team has teamed up with Cardiff Bus to take the anti-bullying message on the road.
From this week, buses on routes throughout the city will carry advertising to promote Cardiff Against Bullying’s Report It campaign which encourages children, young people and their families to speak up if they are victims or witnesses to cases of bullying.
The campaign will run for three months and aims to create a culture where bullying is completely intolerable and young people feel comfortable and sufficiently supported to report instances of bullying to a teacher, parent or to Cardiff Against Bullying.
Cardiff Against Bullying (CAB) is the dedicated anti-bullying team for children and young people, supporting schools, youth and community settings to tackle bullying and promote positive, respectful environments in which to live, work and learn.
The team have developed and implemented a three-year strategy to tackle the problem of bullying in Cardiff. They have worked closely with young people across the city to develop the Cardiff Stop Bullying Awards to assess and award schools’ anti-bullying practices as well as launching the annual Inspire Awards which aim to recognise those individuals who make a difference in their schools and communities. Young people in the city being affected by bullying can e-mail the team to express their worries or they can contact the city’s single non-emergency number, 101 to report bullying problems.
The team’s message is clear – if you see it, report it – and now it is possible for incidents of bullying to be reported through the team’s website.
Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “There is some great work being done in Cardiff to combat the problem of bullying. We have to get the message across that this sort of behaviour is completely intolerable.
“Children and young people have the right to socialise and complete their education without the threat of any sort of abuse hanging over them. It is vital that these children and young people know that if they are the victims of bullies or if they know someone who is suffering at the hands of a bully, they must speak out. The support and advice to deal with the situation is there but they have to take the first step and tell someone about it first.
“The Report It campaign will inform children and young people exactly how to do this. I think the option of reporting incidences via the Cardiff Against Bullying website is also a great way to allow young people to highlight these problems. Look out for the campaign on Cardiff Buses.”
Rachel Beddoe, Anti-Bullying Strategy Coordinator, said: “We are delighted to be working with Cardiff Bus to reach as many of our children and young people as possible to encourage the reporting of bullying and show that Cardiff takes the issue very seriously.
“Many young people use Cardiff Bus as school transportation and as a means to socialise and travel across the city. We are hopeful that this campaign will support us to raise awareness of bullying and create a telling culture, where young people no longer feel afraid to report their concerns to an adult they trust.”
For more information about Cardiff Against Bullying or for support and advice visit www.CardiffAgainstBullying.co.uk or email CAB@Cardiff.gov.uk or have a look at our directory.
