A researcher at The Open University will encourage children to do their own research into bullying as a way of empowering them, during National Antibullying Week this week (19 November).
According to Professor Mary Kellett, Director of the Children’s Research Centre at The Open University, bullying can have devastating effects on children. She carried out some research into cyberbullying with colleague Saima Tarapdar and found that this rapidly evolving form of bullying is more prevalent than previously thought.
The researchers found that among 1,500 young people aged 12 to16, 38 per cent of them had been affected by cyberbullying.
“Levels of cyberbullying have not dissipated,” she said. “This requires the school, the community and more private settings to sharpen protection and response.”
Professor Kellett will drew on these findings at the Diana Award National Antibullying Week Event in London on Monday 19 November where she is lead a workshop for teachers around the benefits of empowering students to undertake their own research into bullying in schools.
The theme of the event was “We’re better without bullying” and its aim was to raise awareness of the issue of bullying and to encourage young people and professionals of all ages to take a stand and bring about positive change.
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