Bullying in Scottish schools falls under the radar
Dee at Copper and Wild (Unsplash)
Research by Education Scotland has suggested that many schools are not using the bullying monitoring system that was introduced in 2019.
This has resulted in incidents of bullying being under-reported in schools across the country, and as a result the Scottish Government have now begun a review looking into its current anti-bullying guidance.
According to information from the Health and Wellbeing Census Scotland 2021-2022, more than 80% of those who were bullied said that it occurred at school.
As of 2019, schools are supposed to record bullying via the Bullying and Equalities Module within the SEEMiS system. However, Education Scotland reported that school staff find this system difficult to use and that the monitoring of incidents is not consistent across schools.
Louise Burfitt-Dons, founder and director of Act Against Bullying, was disappointed to hear about the new findings: “It’s truly saddening to learn about the extensive bullying happening in schools, and it appears to be significant.
“It’s on the rise, behind the scenes and often violent. Social media is playing a crucial role in triggering and perpetuating these episodes, leading to copycat culture.
“My heart goes out to both the children and parents affected. Our charity is committed to addressing this problem and offering confidential support to those impacted by it.”
There are multiple resources for people who are currently experiencing bullying. Respectme, Scotland’s anti-bullying service, has information on their website for both young people and parents and carers.
