Sophie Degan from Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch, Co. Down was recently announced as runner-up in the Post-Primary Y8 – Y 10 art category of the recent Anti-Bullying Week creative arts competition. 

Respect was the clear message from the winners of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week creative arts competition (art and movie/performance) which were announced recently at a special awards ceremony at Belfast Harbour Commissioners.

The annual creative arts competition has always played an important part of the Anti-Bullying Week initiative, which ran from 12 November 2018.

The theme for this year’s Anti-Bullying Week is respect. The campaign encourages children and young people to think about what respect means to them, what it feels like to be respected and how they show respect to others. Overall, this important initiative explores how respect for others can build an anti-bullying culture in local schools and communities.

Anti-Bullying Week is coordinated by Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) and supported by Translink.  NIABF is an interagency group hosted by the National Children's Bureau (NCB) and funded by the Department of Education.

Speaking at the awards event, Gillian Cuthbert, Chair, Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF), said: “Anti-Bullying Week, and more specifically the creative arts competition, provides an important way of highlighting the issue of bullying to schools and the wider community. It helps students to understand the nature and complexities of bullying behaviours and explore ways of promoting the positive messages of anti-bullying.

“We have been overwhelmed at the quality of the competition entries this year and the powerful anti-bullying messages that young people have created through the media of art and movie/performance in line with this year’s theme of respect. All of the young people who took part should be congratulated for the fantastic anti-bullying work they created.”

Jacqui Durkin, Director of Inclusion & Wellbeing, Department of Education, added: “The increased awareness and momentum which Anti-Bullying Week generates can be the driving force for good, it changes attitudes for the better and highlights both our continuing need to tackle this problem and our continuing commitment to do so. The entries to this year’s Anti-Bullying competition focused on eradicating bullying by showing “respect” for all and I am very encouraged at the passion and commitment to this aim shown by everyone who entered.”

Translink has been an active supporter of Anti-Bullying Week for the past 10 years and helps to reinforce messages by placing anti-bullying poster displays at train and bus stations across Northern Ireland. Congratulating all of the award recipients, John Thompson, Translink Health and Safety Manager, said:

“Young people across Northern Ireland have shown great awareness of this serious issue and tackled it in expressive and effective ways. They’ve come together with a powerful united voice to say bullying behaviours should not be tolerated in any form and that everyone should be treated with respect. Translink’s pleased to be able to spread this important message across the bus and rail network.”