“Nearly half of primary school children in Wales have been bullied in
the playground - the highest in the UK, according to research.
Learning Through Landscapes, a
school grounds charity, believes boredom is behind the bullying.
A quarter of UK children say they
have been bullied but that rises to 47% in Wales, according to the study by The
Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest.
It has led to calls for better
playgrounds to help combat the problem.
As part of the banks' research, a
selection of primary school children and parents - 1,146 aged between six and
11 and 1,102 parents - across the UK were surveyed.
The results underline the concerns
of Learning Through Landscapes, a charity which helps schools make the most of
their outdoor spaces for play and learning.
'Stimulating play'
Previous research conducted by the
charity found that schools which improved their outdoor play spaces saw a 64%
reduction in bullying and a 73 % improvement in children's attitudes towards
learning.
The charity's chief executive
Catherine Andrews said: "Children often engage with bullying or engage in
negative behaviour because they are bored.
"A proven solution is to
engage them in more stimulating play. Whilst it is said that children will play
anywhere, the quality of the experience is undoubtedly related to the quality
of the environment."
The survey also revealed that 53% of parents in
Wales who were questioned said their greatest fear is that their child will
become a victim of bullying. “
Very interesting and enlightening article. The rise of playground bullying is evident in these statistics.. Similar to what I mentioned in my primary school.
Perhaps creating the 'Scaredy Cat' character within my book design will help children stand up for themselves and promote a steady and healthy value of themselves as individuals. It's important to not force educational advice to children, but rather they adapt to change themselves. The character in the book will hopefully inspire children to stand up for themselves and be brave.
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