Young people urged to take on the bullies

Over 600 schools from across Northern Ireland took part in last year’s Anti-Bullying Week - and this year schools and youth clubs are also being encouraged to take part.

Anti-Bullying Week, co-ordinated by the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) and supported by Translink, is aimed at reinforcing anti-bullying messages and respecting difference and this year people can get the message across - through art and creative writing.

Lee Kane, NIABF’s regional anti-bullying co-ordinator, urges all local teachers and youth leaders to take part: “Children and young people sometimes experience bullying because someone thinks they’re different,” he says. “It might be motivated by their gender, their real or perceived sexual orientation, if they have a disability, the colour of their skin, their religion or what they look like.

“We are asking young people to think about how someone may be bullied because of others thinking they’re different - and what they can do to stop it.”

The theme of the competition is ‘Everybody is Somebody’ and young people can submit drawings, paintings, sculptures or photographs in the art category, or get creative with poetry, short stories, diaries, songs or drama scripts in the creative writing section.

Further information and entry forms can be downloaded from the NIABF website- www.endbullying.org.uk. Deadline for competition entries and for registration for Anti-Bullying Week is Friday 28 September 2012.