Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government launched A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People in 2010. The national approach forms part of our wider attempts to improve the health and wellbeing of our children and young people. It fits in with our ongoing work to ensure children and young people feel safe and secure and are able to build up strong and positive relationships with their peers and with adults, as well as our work to promote positive behaviour.

Following many legislative and policy developments since the publication of the national approach, a working group was established in January 2015 to refresh the guidance. This group is made up of experts from a number of organisations that have experience of working in this area of work including COSLA, Education Scotland, ENABLE, LGBT Youth, Stonewall Scotland, Youthlink Scotland, CELCIS and sportscotland.

The purpose of the refreshed national approach is to communicate and promote a common vision and aims to make sure that work across all sectors and communities is consistently and coherently contributing to a holistic approach to anti-bullying in Scotland. Following extensive consultation with children and young people, parents and carers and practitioners, the revised national approach will be published in spring 2016.

The refreshed national approach will refer to a range of strategies and programmes being used throughout Scotland that can improve relationships and behaviour and help prevent and address bullying. This includes restorative approaches which can be used to restore relationships that have broken down as a result of bullying. Education Scotland continue to provide support to local authorities and schools on implementing positive relationship approaches.