Anti-Bullying Week celebrated unity and difference, kicking off with Odd Socks Day to get people involved in bringing in change, says Lynne Tooze
Anti-Bullying Week took place in November. Given it was held during lockdown, social media was more useful than ever.
Schools, organisations and individuals all contributed to the week. Events were held, toolkits were provided and films and photos were shown online. The sharing of experiences and information created a feeling of unity. That’s important. Unity combats division. At Respond, we have seen an increase in bullying, hate crimes and abuse against people with a learning disability. Being part of this week was important. If we are all responsible for child protection and safeguarding, then we are responsible when we see or hear bullying. The effects of bullying are enduring for both victims and those who witness it.
The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) organises the week in the UK. Anti-Bullying Week begins with Odd Socks Day to celebrate what makes each of us unique, then aims to highlight bullying and why it we should unite to stop it. The idea behind the week is simple – to live the best life is to be free of anxiety and fear, and bullying produces those feelings, along with shame and desperation.
So what is bullying?
The ABA defines bullying as “the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face to face or online.”
Respond chief executive Noelle Blackman describes bullying as “not being taken seriously as a person, being left out, ignored and sidelined. These are all forms of bullying. People with learning disabilities may experience this most days of their lives.”
So, Odd Socks Day started the week and was fun. And fun things make people want to be involved. Here at Respond, we had a great time searching through socks to put on then photograph. One of the therapists at Respond really enjoyed feeling the difference, with wild and house cat themed socks combined with furry slippers (pictured).
We wanted to highlight that we are all different and individual. We wanted to embrace our individuality and be part of change. It is change that is important – not recriminations, but change. As ABA says: “We’re all a piece in the puzzle and, together, we’re united against bullying.”
