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Minister speaks out against bullying |
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Thursday, 21 February 2008 |
Scotland's schools are no place for bullying and it must be tackled wherever and whenever it arises, said Schools Minister Maureen Watt at an anti-bullying event in Glasgow today.
Speaking at Respectme's first annual conference, Watt said:
"Only by working together and taking the issue seriously can we begin to tackle bullying effectively.
"In its first year, Respectme has worked closely with councils and
partner agencies to challenge the way we think about bullying and our
responses to it.
"Respectme is continuing to support those working with children and
young people to build their capacity to prevent and tackle bullying,
through providing advice, information and training across Scotland.
"However, there is still more that needs to be done. We must ensure
that practical support is available for all children who need it, while
striving to develop a culture of mutual respect and positive behaviour
in our schools."
The Schools Minister also announced the winners of a national
competition for children to create a leaflet about cyberbullying, when
people are bullied using email, text messages and online.
Watt said: "The use of technology has made the scope for bullying even
more complex and cyberbullying can have the same impact as other types
of bullying.
"The nature of cyberbullying also allows for anonymity on the part of
the bully and can take place anywhere, including at home, which makes
it even harder to deal with."
Respectme is Scotland's anti-bullying service and was launched in March
2007. It is a Scottish Government-funded service managed by the
Scottish Association for Mental Health in partnership with LGBT Youth
Scotland.
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