§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the Department's guidance to schools on its anti-bullying strategy addresses identifying the individual needs of children who are being bullied. [188122]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisWe take all bullying seriously and attach great importance to tackling it. All secondary and middle schools have received a copy of our "Don't Suffer in Silence" guidance and it is available free on request to all others. It sets out a range of strategies for supporting children who are being bullied and recognises that different situations require different responses, in order to meet different needs. The guidance emphasises the importance of tackling all sorts of bullying, including bullying because of race, gender, sexual orientation or disability and highlights the rise in bullying via new technology such as mobile phones.
The Anti-Bullying Charter for Action not only reinforces existing guidance but also offers suggestions for dealing with bullying via the use of school councils and peer support and by regularly canvassing children's opinion on the nature and extent of bullying. The Anti-Bullying Alliance has been formed, which will give schools support in implementing the charter.