More than half of Monmouthshire children have been bullied says report

Between 51% and 55% of young people in Monmouthshire have been bullied, a report by Monmouthshire County Council shows.

The report, ‘Bullying amongst children and young people in Monmouthshire 2009’, is based on responses from 1,207 children and young people, nine parents and 19 professionals.

Children and young people in Monmouthshire said they felt strongly that there was an issue with bullying in and outside of school.

Children were open about the support they had received when they had experienced bullying: “My friends helped me through it and I remembered what they said in the course about being a peer mentor,” said one anonymous respondent.

However, overall, children and young people agreed that there needs to be more support for those being bullied: "All the support is to help the bully stop but there is no help for the people being bullied" said an anonymous respondent.

During anti-bullying week, November 16 - 20, Monmouthshire’s Children and Young People’s Involvement Worker, Rhian Cook, will be visiting schools to talk to children and young people about how the council is fighting bullying.

Rhian said: "It is essential that the children and young people of Monmouthshire are aware of the results of this report.

"Making the information clear so that they are able to understand the results of the report was my main aim.

"I would like to thank children and young people from Shirenewton Primary and King Henry VIII Comprehensive School who provided much needed insight into how they would like the information presented and what they wanted to know from the report.

"The report which will play a vital role in tackling bullying in Monmouthshire and shape the way bullying is dealt with." All across Monmouthshire schools will be presenting special assemblies and lessons around anti-bullying.

Schools will be linking with their Police School Liaison Officer. A bullying prevention group has been set up by Monmouthshire’s Children and Young People’s Partnership who will be using the report to write an authority wide bullying prevention strategy.

For a copy of the report on bullying, email EmmaTaylor@monmouthshire.gov.uk.