Wear Blue Next Friday and Stand By Bridgend Children to Stop Bullying

I will be standing firmly by the side of children in Bridgend in support of anti bullying as Wales prepares to mark Respecting Others Week 2006 (20-24 November) by wearing blue.

Education Minister Jane Davidson announced recently that blue is the colour of the week and ‘bystanders’ are the focus of the campaign – led by the Welsh Anti-Bullying Network and Welsh Assembly Government – which aims to provide advice and support as a way of encouraging young people to speak out against bullying instead of simply standing by.

I want to see Bridgend pupils join schools across Wales to take part in special activities throughout the week, and on Blue Friday (24 November) wear something blue to show their support for Respecting Others Week 2006.

We all need to get the message across in schools that if you stand by and do nothing you allow bullying to continue. Pupils need to learn how to step forward, respect each other and help tackle bullying together – and stop being a bystander.

I’ll be wearing blue on Friday to show my support for this important cause and would like pupils in Bridgend schools wear something blue too - it can be anything from a hat to a sock. It doesn’t really matter what the item is, it’s more a symbol of the fact that we all want to stamp out bullying.

I am very pleased that the Welsh Assembly Government is taking bullying seriously. The Assembly has sent a DVD highlighting 50 ideas on how to tackle bullying to all schools in Wales and I wish all Bridgend schools every success in teaching pupils that standing by on bullying isn’t good for them, their friends or their school.

More information on Respecting Others Week can be found by logging onto www.wales.gov.uk/respectingothers