Boyzone star fronts new campaign to beat bullying

FORMER Boyband star Keith Duffy is calling on primary schools across Dublin to join him in helping a new campaign to beat bullying.

Keith was joined by One Direction’s Niall Horan and Olympic boxer John Joe Nevin as he urged schools to join the Irish Autism Action Anti-Bullying Campaign.

“We hope that primary schools across Dublin and nationwide will join our campaign,

? Keith said.

As part of the campaign 1,000 anti-bully action packs will be distributed to Dublin schools in the next term.

To participate, Dublin primary schools can register their interest online at the website www.autismirelandantibullying.ie.

They can also collect old phones for recycling over the summer, and then trade these for an educational pack that teaches kids how to recognise, deal with and stop bullying.

Father-of-two Keith warned that children who are being bullied often feel helpless.

“Victims of bullying can feel trapped and that they can’t do anything about it,

? he said.

“They’re terrified that if they tell anyone the bullying will get worse. But these action packs teach children how and where to get the help they need to stop the bullies for good.

?

Using specially created software, the action packs teach children how to identify common bullying scenarios and what to do if they ever fall victim to bullies.

Dublin schools can join online when they reopen in September to register for the 2013/14 campaign.

And although it’s run by Irish Autism Action, Keith said the campaign is for all children.

“The horrible fact is that anyone can be bullied,

? he added.

“A recent ISPCC report found 23 per cent of nine to 16 year-olds reported being bullied, either online or face to face.

“That’s nearly a quarter of all the children in Ireland and it’s a horrific figure.

“Bullies often get away with what they do because their victims just don’t know how to make it stop. Hopefully these action packs will give children the tools they need to speak out and stop bullies for good.

?

According to Keith the summer is a great time to get out there and start collecting phones.

“Don’t forget, you can still sign up in September, and by then you should be well on the way to earning your action pack,

? he stated.

The campaign is run in association with Irish company Swapkit, a forerunner in supporting Irish Autism through its recycling campaigns.