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Nick Clegg slams bullying 

CAB204 /10
17 November 2010  

To mark Anti-Bullying Week, the Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, today sent a message to young bullies that their behaviour will not be tolerated, that teachers will be given the authority to crack down on bullying, and that schools will be able to deal with bullying even when it occurs away from their premises. 

In a video message, he warned that the prejudices that start at school, such as homophobia, can have lifelong effects, and called for schools to join the Coalition Government in adopting a zero tolerance approach. 

The broadcast of this message followed a meeting with the Beat Bullying Campaign, who presented him with a petition from their Big March campaign against bullying. Mr Clegg promised to consider carefully the campaign’s calls for a review of bullying guidance across government.

Note to editors

1. More information on the Beat Bullying Campaign and their Big March can be found at www.beatbullying.org/. Photos of their meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/cabinetoffice.
2. The video message can be viewed on the Deputy Prime Minister’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/deputyprimeminister.
3. The full text of the message is as follows:

Bullying is unacceptable wherever you find it – No matter who you are or where you are.

But it is particularly bad when it is happening to children and teenagers.                 

Feeling intimidated, humiliated, physically threatened at that age can have real and lasting consequences.

It can shatter a young person’s self confidence, and that can stay with them for the rest of their lives.

What’s more, it’s when people are young that prejudice can really take root. Like homophobia.

Right now there are simply too many children growing up thinking that gay is an insult.  Thinking that you can judge a person by their sexual orientation.

That is wrong, and it undermines the open, fair, liberal society we are trying to build. So we need a zero tolerance approach – to this and all types of bullying.

I want to be honest – there isn’t a magic wand we can wave. Rooting out bullying comes down to all of us – politicians, parents, teachers, young people themselves.

And what government can do is help put schools at the heart of the fight against bullying. That’s why we’re making it easier for staff so that they can combat bad and offensive behaviour in the classroom.

We’re empowering schools so that they feel confident about dealing with bullying even when it happens outside of the school gates.

We’re looking at how we can crack down on cyber bullying, working with schools and the industry to create a safer environment online.

And we’ll be able to see how schools are dealing with bullying through future school inspections.

I have three young sons myself and I know how important this is to parents.

So tackling bullying is an absolute priority for us. I’m delighted that this year’s anti-bullying week is, yet again, a big success.

If we work together on this, we can make a big difference.

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