Meeting of the Parliament 15 November 2017
Over the years, the concept of bullying has changed and evolved as we have become more aware of the impact of the differing ways in which bullying can be inflicted. There is no doubt that bullying at a young age can have a long-lasting adverse effect on those on the receiving end. Scotland’s anti-bullying service, respectme, defines bullying in the following terms:
“Bullying is both behaviour and impact; what someone does and the impact it has on the other person’s capacity to feel in control of themselves. We call this their sense of ‘agency’. Bullying takes place in the context of relationships. It is behaviour that can make people feel hurt, threatened, frightened and left out and it can happen face to face and online.”
It is important to understand those terms defining bullying so that we can recognise it immediately and understand how to minimise it. Respectme goes further in noting how bullying is not just repetitive behaviour but can take place in solitary incidents, and that although such behaviour may not be intentional, the impact on the person being bullied is no less severe. Bullying is distinct from criminal offences such as hate crime, child sexual exploitation and gender-based violence.
Respectme’s survey “Bullying in Scotland 2014” provided some context on the present situation. More than 8,000 children and young people were surveyed, of whom 30 per cent stated that they had been bullied in the 2013-14 school year. Of that sector, 60 per cent had been bullied in person, 19 per cent had been bullied online only and 21 per cent had experienced a mixture of the two. Unsurprisingly, the most common type of bullying behaviour was name calling, hurtful comments and rumour spreading.
Against that background, in May this year the Education and Skills Committee produced the report “Let’s Talk About Personal and Social Education”. The committee took evidence from round-table sessions and online surveys. It had a tremendous response that emphasised the importance of good personal and social education and noted how the delivery of PSE can be variable across the country. PSE can cover a wide range of topics, including study skills, sex and relationships, and drugs and alcohol awareness, with the intention of enabling children with a greater understanding of such topics and helping them to develop the skills and attributes that they need to thrive.
As part of the committee’s work in producing the report, focus groups were held at Dalkeith high school, in my constituency, and I am pleased to report that beneficial and supportive PSE is clearly valued and appreciated at that school. For example, students noted that outside agencies such as employers and colleges advised them on issues such as pathways into careers, and that teachers made themselves available outside PSE sessions so that pupils were able to meet them at different times. In terms of transgender children and LGBT issues, the school confirmed that Stonewall Scotland comes in to provide support and that the school has its own LGBT support group.
However, the committee also heard of cases of LGBT support through PSE lessons that was not as valued as the support at Dalkeith high school. We heard from students who were bullied and struggled with who they were because of a lack of LGBTI-inclusive PSE lessons. We also heard from those who believed that their sex education lessons focused on all the “terrible things”—including “shocking videos”—that can happen to someone if they have sex or take drugs, instead of taking a constructive approach that informed pupils of the support that was available to them. In one case, a pupil was apparently told by his school that he would “go to hell” because of his sexuality. When Scotland’s young people are facing such attitudes from our own educational establishments at a time when they should be receiving the maximum of emotional support, it is clear that steps need to be taken to address the issue.
Stonewall Scotland’s 2012 school report provided more context on LGBTI issues, including the facts that 52 per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people had experienced homophobic bullying behaviour in our schools and that 26 per cent of such young people had tried to take their own life at some point. Those statistics are profoundly shocking and highlight where action needs to be taken.
With its explicit commitment to addressing prejudice-based bullying, “Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People” encompasses a vision that I hope is supported by everyone here today. I have touched on some of its points already, but they bear repeating. It states:
“every child and young person in Scotland will grow up free from bullying and will develop respectful, responsible and confident relationships with other children, young people and adults;
children and young people and their parent(s), will have the skills and resilience to prevent and/or respond to bullying appropriately;
every child and young person who requires help will know who can help them and what support is available;
and adults working with children and young people will follow a consistent and coherent approach in dealing with and preventing bullying from Early Learning and Childcare onwards.”
There are many actions that we can take to instil consensual understanding and empathetic attitudes in our young people—attitudes that they can carry through their post-school lives and into society and work environments. In that way, we can make Scotland into a fairer and more tolerant country in the years ahead. Prejudice-based bullying can manifest itself in many forms and encompasses a wide range of prejudices, from prejudices based on race, sexuality and disability to those based on body image, religious belief and gender identity. Those who pick up bullying habits at a young age are likely to keep them throughout their lives, and such habits may transmit themselves onward into the children of such people.
The Scottish Government will now take forward the review of personal and social education alongside the steps outlined in the respect for all strategy, and I very much welcome the Scottish Government taking that action. I thank those who gave evidence and all who have contributed to the debate.
16:21