Council's irresponsible and dangerous approach to bullying slammed by child campaigning West MP

23/11/2005

Bristol City Council has been branded "irresponsible and dangerous" by West MP and child protection campaigner Dan Norris for its promotion of the so-called 'No Blame' approach to tackling bullying in schools.

Wansdyke MP Mr Norris, whose ground-breaking anti-bullying advice booklet for children is launched nationally by charity Kidscape this Anti-Bullying Week, says the Government's education White Paper, which orders schools to get tough on bullies, signals the end of the trendy-but-discredited 'No Blame' method of dealing with bullying.

Over the past 20 years some schools have adopted a 'No Blame' approach, in which the teacher who intervenes in the bullying avoids blaming anyone for the problem, based on the assumption the bullies themselves actually want the bullying to stop, rather than getting them to face up to - and accept - the consequences of their wrongdoings to other children. Educationalists from the Bristol area have been some of the keenest promoters of the 'No Blame' approach which began in the 1990s.

By contrast the government's White Paper tells schools they must have effective anti-bullying measures in place, including punishments for bullies. Schools must ensure bullies are made to take responsibility for their actions.

Yet at an event in Bristol this Friday (25 November 2005) the Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Children's Services, the councillor in charge of the city's education policy, is enthusiastically launching the council's new anti-bullying guidance document for schools which offers active Council support to schools wishing to implement No Blame (for details see below).

Said Dan Norris: "Bullying is the scourge of too many young people's lives.
Bullying is always wrong and it is the bullies who have to change. The safety of the victim must always come first."

"Where it is used the No Blame approach can lead to a complete failure to tackle head-on the cause of the bullying - the bullies themselves."

"People who bully others should be ashamed of their actions and should apologise. If there are no consequences for the bully young people will grow up believing they can do whatever they like to others. The huge majority of parents bring up their children to accept responsibility for their actions.
Supporting a No Blame approach means doing the opposite," said the MP, who is on a shortlist of four in this year's prestigious Children and Youth Champion Award.

"To encourage the use of 'No Blame' by pro-actively offering support to schools who wish to use the approach is not just irresponsible, it is also dangerous.

"No Blame gives bullies the idea that their cruel actions need have no consequences. The trendy concept of not blaming the bullies has been a disaster - the promotion of No Blame is the promotion of a charter for bullies," added the Wansdyke MP and former West child protection officer.

"Long-term studies of bullies show that they are four times more likely to end up in prison, to abuse their spouses and children and to have difficulty with relationships and holding down jobs. No Blame is bad for bullies as well as those they hurt.

"The government's White Paper represents a rejection of this deeply-flawed approach. It rightly stands up for the victim, not the bully. I am sure schools themselves will take note that the days of 'No Blame' are well and truly numbered and will reject Bristol City Council's offer of support for this approach" said Mr Norris.

"The UK's leading anti-bullying charity Kidscape, has a thick file of complaints from children in West Country and across the UK who have been the victims of bullying and who have then further suffered as a result of the 'No Blame' approach," he added.

The Wansdyke MP's unique free anti-bullying booklet 'Don't Bully Me,'
sponsored by West electricity company Western Power Distribution, provides advice for primary age children on how to beat the misery of bullying. Since its local publication in

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Council's irresponsible and dangerous approach to bullying slammed by child campaigning West MP

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