Respectful relationships can help to prevent bullying

Respectful relationships can help to prevent bullying

Respect is at the heart of how we all treat each other. Whether face to face or online, too many children and young people in Scotland experience bullying that impacts their lives, strips them of their rights and denies them their dignity.

Our annual Anti-Bullying Week event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase great examples of anti-bullying policy and practice being led by schools in Scotland, as well as reinforcing the message that bullying is never acceptable and that it is not an inevitable part of growing up. 

The theme of ‘respect’, designed to align with the launch of the Scottish Government’s updated ‘Respect for All’ anti-bullying guidance, encouraged people to talk and think about how the power of respectful relationships can help to prevent bullying. Aimed at schools and youth settings, our portfolio of learning resources, which are available to download for free all year round, promoted the importance of respectful relationships, understanding differences, and the value of kindness. The campaign theme also spotlighted the significant impact bullying can have on young lives, where mental, physical and emotional wellbeing can all be undermined.

We saw a phenomenal response to the campaign theme this year, with analytics revealing that we reached over 70% of the school-age audience across all local authority areas in Scotland. This means that more than 500,000 school children and young people took part in our national conversation about respect, from over 900 schools and settings in Scotland – and even a few in England and Wales! The success of our campaign messaging is also a testament to the commitment and energy of teachers, parents and youth workers who help bring safety and happiness to young lives.

One of the many highlights of Anti-Bullying Week came from a partnership with Dunfermline High School’s S1 art students, who worked hard to create a thought-provoking anti-bullying film which formed the key feature of our Assembly toolkit for schools and youth settings. Watch the film at: https://vimeo.com/1026150235/510a9d19d9

The week also saw us out on the road celebrating with staff and pupils from St Patrick’s Primary School, Carmunnock Primary School and Dunfermline High School, who have all been successful in securing our impressive respectme reward. The reward, following a rigorous self-assessment process, officially recognises schools for creating anti-bullying spaces where children and young people feel safe, respected and able to learn and reach their full potential – confident that bullying is being prevented from happening in the first place, and then responded to effectively when it does happen.

Don’t forget to tag our social media channels to share any good work you’ve been doing to create safe anti-bullying spaces. All our Anti-Bullying Week resources; ‘Respect - What does it mean to you’, and previous campaign resources are available on our website.

It’s so easy to continue, or to start your new anti-bullying journey, explore the ‘Campaigns and resources’ tab, or register for our free e-Learning courses.

As 2024 comes to an end, we wish all our colleagues and supporters a happy festive season and a peaceful new year, thank you for all that you do to help our little team aim high.

See you in 2025!