Anti-Bullying Week 2021: One Kind Word

Anti-Bullying Week is coordinated In England by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and takes place from 15 to 19 November 2021 and it has the theme One Kind Word. The week will begin with Odd Socks Day supported by CBBC and CBeebies star Andy Day and his band Andy and the Odd Socks.

One Kind Word

Kindness is more important today than it has ever been. The isolation of the last year has underlined how little acts of consideration can break down barriers and brighten the lives of the people around us. This is one of the reasons, that ‘One Kind Word’ has been chosen as the theme of Anti-Bullying Week taking place from 15 to 19 of November 2021.

Following the success of the campaign in 2020 – when a jaw-dropping 80% of schools marked the week reaching over 7.5 million children and young people - the Anti-Bullying Alliance (which coordinates the campaign each year in England and Wales) asked over 400 young people, teachers, and parents, what they wanted from this year’s Anti-Bullying Week. Again and again, the young and not-so-young told us they wanted anti-bullying work to be about hope and the positive and kind things we can do to halt hurtful behaviour in its tracks.

 

Our call to action: 

Ask if someone’s OK. Say you’re sorry. Just say hey.

In a world that can sometimes feel like it’s filled with negativity, one kind word can provide a moment of hope. It can be a turning point. It can change someone’s perspective. It can change their day. It can change the course of a conversation and break the cycle of bullying.

Best of all, one kind word leads to another. Kindness fuels kindness. So from the playground to Parliament, and from our phones to our homes, together, our actions can fire a chain reaction that powers positivity.

It starts with one kind word. It starts today.

So how will kindness be reflected in plans for Anti-Bullying Week?

As usual, schools in England will be able to download free teaching resources and themed assemblies, geared to different key stages, in the Autumn. Last year our resources were downloaded 50,000 times.

And Anti-Bullying Alliance patron, CBBC and CBeebies star Andy Day will be right behind the campaign again with his band Andy and the Odd Socks. The band will release a totally rocking tune to celebrate Odd Socks Day as part of Anti-Bullying and, whilst we can’t reveal much, if the last year’s songs and videos are anything to go by, it will be a show-stopper. Andy will highlight Odd Socks Day on the first day of Anti-Bullying Week. There’s a serious message behind the fun: let’s pull on odd socks to show we’re ALL unique and different, and let’s be kind to each other and respect each other’s individuality.

For older children, the buzz on social media is an important part of Anti-Bullying Week, and a great opportunity for schools to share with the education community how they’ve embraced the anti-bullying message. Last year, you helped #AntiBullyingWeek trend at No.1 on Twitter, reach over 44 million users on TikTok, and get almost 600,000 views of Odd Socks Day videos on YouTube.In the coming months we will: 

  • Provide a primary and secondary school pack that will include lesson plans, assembly plans, cross-curricular ideas and videos to help you in school and other settings. 
  • Provide schools and workplaces with an Odd Socks Day pack to help you get ready for the biggest Odd Socks Day yet! 
  • Hold our Anti-Bullying Week School Staff Awards. 
  • Provide you with everything you need to make Anti-Bullying Week: One Kind Word happen on social media. 
  • Share all our amazing member's activity.  
  • Provide tools for parents and carers.  
  • Sell merchandise on our website. 

You can keep informed and support Anti-Bullying Week by signing up to our mailing list or becoming a member of the Anti-Bullying Alliance.
And follow us on Twitter via @ABAonline #AntiBullyingWeek

We’re delighted that this year we have a shared theme across the whole of the four nations of the UK.

Anti-Bullying Week is organised by:

Each organisation will be developing their own resources and activity to support the week.