17/11/10
Bridgend pupils cast in key anti-bullying role
Bridgend teenagers have pooled their film-making skills in order to bring a powerful message against Internet-based bullying to fellow youngsters across Wales.
The pupils from Ogmore Comprehensive School, Bryncethin, Bridgend, decided to tackle the growing problem of online bullying by creating a DVD, entitled ‘Cyber Bully’, with the help of their In-School Peer Support Service and local arts group, Valley and Vale Community Arts.
Since its launch, the film and its accompanying booklet, have been shown to pupils throughout Wales, teaching them how to stay safe in chatrooms and how to respond if a bully targets them by text or through social networking sites.
The success of their initiative is being highlighted by the Welsh Assembly Government as part of next week’s Anti-Bullying Week, which aims to help young people across Wales recognise and combat bullying and to support those who are being bullied.
Kristen Obradovic, 17, from Bryncethin, was one of the pupils who worked on the ‘Cyber Bully’ DVD. As well as raising awareness of bullying, Kristen says she and her friends learned important skills in how to make a film, such as operating camera equipment, acting and directing.
She said: “I was part of a group of 10 pupils of different ages who worked on the film. Valley and Vale Community Arts provided us with equipment and showed us how to act, direct and how to write the script. The film is only 10 minutes long but it took us about four months to make.
“We felt that cyberbullying was an issue that was not being tackled directly. Everyone knows about bullying, but what happens when a child goes home and uses technology?
“We wanted to make the DVD to get the message across that bullying is not just one thing that happens in school. Through social networking sites such as Bebo, Facebook and MSN, bullies can keep taunting their victims at home,” she added.
Latest figures indicate that around 30% of 10-12 year olds had been bullied in some way over a sample two month period. And 15% of 14-15 year olds say they have been bullied over the same period.
Despite this, there is some evidence the level of bullying has declined in Wales since 2005/06 which may in part be due to some of the programmes that run within schools and are encouraged by the Welsh Assembly Government.
Kristen now plans to take what she has learned from her school’s anti-bullying campaign and continue to help others when she leaves school. She said: “I enjoyed making the film about bullying because I’ve always had a passion for helping people. I’m applying for university courses at the moment and would like to become an educational psychologist so I can continue to help pupils with their problems.”
“We had been doing lots of workshops about bullying at my school, talking about all the emotions involved in bullying, like anger. I’m involved in peer support and I think it’s important to see both sides of the argument because bullies often have problems too.
“In our film we showed how the victim feels and also why the bully lashes out at others. We showed the bully’s home life, which wasn’t very stable, and showed how that can influence their actions and stimulate them to bully others. Then we showed the bully with their victim at the end of the film, when they understood what each other was feeling.”
Education Minister Leighton Andrews praised the Bridgend youngsters’ project and described Anti-Bullying Week as a valuable opportunity for teachers, parents and students to discuss bullying issues and how to implement anti-bullying measures:
He said: “Any form of bullying is unacceptable and we have to learn to deal with it effectively to avoid the potential long-term damage it can have on some young people. It’s important that education professionals have the right skills and tools to recognise when a child is being bullied so they can deal with it effectively, and put preventative measures in place. I hope Anti-Bullying Week will enable professionals, parents and students to share best practise and learn from each others’ experiences.”
