Findings of Annual Bullying Survey 2015 Announced

Charity Ditch the Label have announced the findings of their Annual Bullying Survey foir 2015.

The survey of 3,600 young people in the UK between the ages of 13-18 revealed that:

• 51% of young people have been bullied because of their appearance
• 26% of young people have been bullied because of their weight
• 13% of teens have been bullied by a teacher

Commenting on the findings from Ditch the Label's report, Sue Minto Head of ChildLine said:

"These figures are shocking and correlate with what we are hearing from young people here at ChildLine. In 2013/2014 we held over 5,000 counselling sessions with young people who spoke about body image issues - the majority of which took place with girls.

"Young people told us that bullying, name-calling and being victimised about weight often led to them developing body image issues – and sadly they strongly believed that by changing their body it would result in them being socially accepted."

You can read more about Ditch the Label's Annual Bullying Survey here: http://www.ditchthelabel.org/annual-bullying-survey-2015/

Sexting & Sexual Grooming

Stockport MP, Ann Coffey introduced a Westminster Hall debate on the growing phenomenon of "sexting" - the sharing of sexually suggestive messages or images electronically, primarily between mobile phones. She said that sexting was often used as a form of cyber-bullying and that the link between sexual grooming and sexting is becoming increasingly apparent (according to the children's charity Beat Bullying). Increasingly younger children are being affected. Ms Coffey said that the mobile phone industry should do more to highlight some of the dangers of its products and suggested that the Children’s Minister should raise some of her specific ideas when he next met with the mobile phone companies.

You can read a summary of the debate here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120425/halltext/120425h0001.htm#12042537000002