Anti-Bullying Week is coordinated In England by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and takes place from 15 to 19 November 2021. The week will begin with Odd Socks Day supported by CBBC and CBeebies star Andy Day and his band Andy and the Odd Socks.
Kindness is more important today than it has ever been. The isolation of the last year has underlined how little acts of consideration and charity 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.
One Kind Word 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. We can all play a part in a chain reaction that powers positivity.
We think this upbeat message will resonate with children who know all too well how unkind words can hurt and undermine them.
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. These will focus on the activities we can all take, from playgrounds to Parliament, from our phones to our homes, to spread kindness and prevent bullying behaviour. 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 celerbrate 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.
For more details about Anti-Bullying Week visit the Anti-Bullying Alliance’s website: anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week.
You can keep informed and support Anti-Bullying Week by becoming a member of the Anti-Bullying Alliance.
We’re delighted that this year we have a shared theme across the whole of the four nations of the UK.
And follow us on Twitter via @ABAonline #AntiBullyingWeek
ENDS
Notes to editors
For further information, please contact the National Children’s Bureau media office: media@ncb.org.uk / rnewson@ncb.org.uk / 07721 097 033.
For urgent enquiries out of office-hours call: 07721 097 033.
About Anti-Bullying Week
Anti-Bullying Week is organised by:
- The Anti-Bullying Alliance in England and Wales (supported by the Welsh Government in Wales)
- respectme, Scotland’s anti-bullying agency
- The Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum in Northern Ireland
Each organisation will be developing their own resources and activity to support the week.
About the National Children’s Bureau
For more than 50 years, the National Children’s Bureau has worked to champion the rights of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families. As a leading children’s charity, we take the voices of children to the heart of Government, bringing people and organisations together to drive change in society and deliver a better childhood for the UK. We are united for a better childhood.
For more information visit www.ncb.org.uk