Mid Ulster schools in anti-bullying forum

The landmark event, which carried the theme ‘Change Starts With Us’, was organised by the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF), an interagency group hosted by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) and funded by the Department of Education.

Young people in attendance worked in committees and heard about work undertaken to address bullying but it also allowed those young people to highlight issues and make a further call to action for responsible adults to support them in reducing the levels of bullying experienced by them and/or their contemporaries.

MLAs from across the spectrum supported the event which was facilitated by the NI Assembly Education Service.

The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Alex Maskey, granted use of the Assembly Chamber for the debate-style event and Education Minister Peter Weir provided the opening statement. The NI Commissioner for Children and Young People, Koulla Yiasouma, also spoke at the event.

Gill Hassard, Senior Participation Officer at NCB, host of Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF), discussed: “Change Starts With Us was the theme of the recent Anti-Bullying Week and is about showing how we can all make changes to be part of the solution.

“Whether it is speaking to someone we trust when bullying happens or calling it out if we suspect it’s happening to someone else, we can all work together for a solution.

“We feel that it is important to empower young people to engage with the formal decision-making structures that exist in our society, so that their views, opinions and concerns can be reflected in government policy.

“Working in association with the Northern Ireland Assembly Education Service, we are hosting the first ever Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Young People’s Forum, to do just that.”

Amongst the local schools participating in the forum were Magherafelt High School, Sperrin Integrated College, St Patrick College, Royal School Dungannon and St Patrick’s Academy.