We all need a new mindset over bullying

We all like to think of a school as a happy place. For some children that's just not true.

I've just read a truly horrible story from Wales, the details are almost unbelievable, a boy was bullied into taking his own life by fellow students. Apparently the problem was ongoing for some time with other children suffering too.

This is an old, old problem and is not restricted to any area or single school. We ALL need to watch every school in every area. There is no such thing as a school free of this problem, given the law of averages that's not possible.

The culture of sweeping bullying under the carpet, in order to protect schools' reputations or simply take an easy way out, has to stop. Teachers, parents, education authorities and elected representatives need a new mindset. Sadly it's a dark side of human nature to pick on anyone who looks different or weak and that trend is exaggerated amongst children and younger people. Those charged with their care need to recognise this.

If we don't accept it as a huge risk things will not get better. Paying lip service to anti-bullying policies or ticking boxes is not enough. We can't legislate the problem away and when it is identified it has to be dealt with on the ground, quickly, one issue at a time.

Failure will result in at least a lot of very unhappy, frightened children and at worst, as demonstrated in Wales, dead ones and grieving parents.

Coun Paul Foyster

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