Derby City Council is supporting a campaign to tackle the effects of bullying on the city’s young people.
Children First Derby Mentoring ServiceOpens in new tab has launched an anti-bullying campaign after seeing an increasing number of children and young people in need of support. The service offers one-to-one support and group mentoring to children in the city.
The idea came from the charity’s Youth Forum which aims to empower young people to speak out, share their experiences and encourage people to work together to take a stand against bullying all year round.
The Youth Forum is made up of former and current young people that have been referred to the charity, some of whom have experienced bullying and now want to raise awareness and bring about change.
As well as Derby City Council, the anti-bullying project includes partnerships with Artcore, Allegiance Jiu Jitsu, local schools, mental health professionals, the police, and the Anti-Bullying Alliance.
Statistics for England and Wales show an estimated 1,544,000 children aged 10 to 15 years (34.9%) experienced an in-person bullying behaviour and 847,000 (19.1%) experienced an online bullying behaviour, in the year ending March 2023 (Office for National Statistics).
Bullying has a significant impact on a child’s life which can have long-term effects, with people who were bullied more likely to:
- Experience mental health issues as an adult
- Earn less money
- Not be in employment, education or training into adulthood
- Be obese
- Not being a stable relationship
Josh, aged 20, was supported by Children First when he was bullied at school. He said:
The bullying escalated in Year 9. It started as verbal bullying but it turned into violence. I was referred to Children First and that really helped me. I moved schools and had a fresh start.
When I left my old school I was predicted to fail most of my GCSEs but I got seven and went on to do well in my A Levels. Now I’m studying at university.
My experience shows what a difference getting support makes. I’m doing well now and I want to give something back by supporting this campaign. We want people to work together to make a change.
The Youth Forum's anti-bullying sculpture on display at Artcore. Image: Children First Derby
To covey of the devastating effects of bullying and help to promote lasting change, the Youth Forum created a sculpture to express their feelings of frustration. The powerful artwork was displayed in schools during Anti-Bullying Week and at the Artcore gallery in the city centre.
Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills, said:
We’re proud to support Children First and the fantastic work they do to support children and young people in Derby. Bullying can have a devastating impact on a child's mental and emotional well-being.
We all have a role to play in stopping bullying. Let's work together to educate, support, and empower our young people.
Kerreene Davidson, Mentoring Service Manager at Children First Derby, said:
We believe everyone has the right to feel safe and respected and no one should have to face bullying alone.
This campaign is not just about prevention; it’s about creating lasting change to ensure all children and young people feel safe and confident to engage in education and protect their mental health from being negatively impacted.
Anyone who needs support can contact Children First DerbyOpens in new tab on 01332 341516. Children can also contact ChildlineOpens in new tab at any time on 0800 1111 or the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.