Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 31 January 2018.
Thank you, Nick. I think school buildings can play a significant part in helping create that environment for our children, but we have to recognise that bullying can be a problem in all schools regardless of where they are and that can take many forms. We are updating our anti-bullying guidance 'Respecting Others', and the revised guidance will be published later this year. I have also undertaken to carry out a review into the specific issues around cyber bullying, online and internet social media safety, and will continue to work in this area. This is a relatively new aspect of bullying. In days gone past, children were able to return home to a safe space. These days, their mobile phones and devices allow a constant stream of chatter to continue, and we need to equip our children on how best to deal with that, how to behave responsibly online, and, if they come across behaviour that it is irresponsible, whom they can report that to, safe in the knowledge that, having reported it, action will be taken to support them.