Local teens lead fight against bullying

TWO Northside teenagers are leading the fight against bullying as part of a new Irish Red Cross Youth campaign.

Sean Lennon and Lea Pepper, both members of the Irish Red Cross Santry branch, have joined with four other members from the organisation to form an Anti-Bullying Sub-group, tasked with creating resources that help young people tackle bullying.

The group was convened to lead the campaign on behalf of Irish Red Cross Youth, following a motion in which 150 young volunteers from all over Ireland voiced their ambition to combat bullying.

The campaign, entitled

‘Don’t be a bully, be a buddy’, is 100 per cent youth led with all content, resources and plans being created by the sub-group themselves.

To come up with a name for the campaign the sub-group ran a slogan competition encouraging members of Irish Red Cross Youth to submit their ideas.

The winning slogan –

‘Don’t be a bully, be a buddy’ – will appear on t-shirts, posters and a new information resource card which the sub-group has created for distribution to branches, schools and to the public.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Sean (16) explained the aim of the resource card.

“We wanted the card to be full of very positive and extremely helpful information for someone that is experiencing bullying,

? he said.

“We also agreed that bullying is not always just about the victim, it is also about the person who is doing the bullying.

?

The information resource comes in the form of a wallet-sized card, which folds out to reveal useful tips for those who find themselves or their friends the target of bullies.

These tips include how to recognise a bully, how to recognise if you are being a bully and how to be a buddy. It also provides contact information for other organisations that help victims of bullying.

Lea (17) said:

“Bullying is global, but hopefully we as a group can help tackle bullying on our little island.

?

The sub-group now plans to send out the resource card to schools around Ireland to assist teachers and students in combating bullying in their areas. They also plan to visit groups and schools to encourage other young people to choose to

‘be a buddy’.