Football clubs and teams across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to show their support for the annual Anti-Bullying Week.
In 2024 the special week, which runs from today until Friday (11-15 November), has the theme of ‘choose respect’.
The theme was chosen following consultations between the Anti-Bullying Alliance and teachers and students across Northern Ireland, England and Wales. Teachers and pupils opted for an empowering theme to counter the harm and hurt that can be caused by bullying.
Training grounds, match days and sidelines are the perfect place to ‘choose respect’ and to bring an end to bullying behaviour and allow our children to thrive in the sport that they love, according to Kevin Doyle, Safeguarding Service Delivery Manager with the Irish Football Association.
“We all have an important part to play in addressing bullying behaviour. Whether it is online or offline, it can be equally damaging,” he said.
Among the various activities taking place to mark the week, there’s an Odd Socks Day tomorrow (Tuesday 12 Nov).
Both the alliance and the association are encouraging coaches and players to wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique. “Please share these images on your club social media to help celebrate Anti-Bullying Week,” said Kevin.
Next Wednesday (20 Nov), between 7pm and 8pm, the association along with Ulster GAA and Ulster Rugby is hosting an online workshop that will focus on tackling bullying in sport.
The workshop, which is being staged through the ongoing Sport: A Home for Lifelong Volunteering initiative, will provide practical ways to identify and address bullying issues in sport.
Anyone interested in developing a more respectful atmosphere in their club can register for the workshop here:https://forms.office.com/e/vtjSStku2P
As part of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week, the Anti-Bullying Alliance is keen for children and young people to start a conversation about how to handle disagreements and differences of opinion without resorting to bullying.
It said the idea is to support each other to champion kindness because being kind is not a sign of weakness but a mark of strength.
The alliance 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 and have a potentially devastating impact on young footballers.
Kevin Doyle further said a young person experiencing or witnessing bullying behaviour should always remember that they can help either themselves or one of their friends.
He said they should seek help by telling a trusted adult – a family member, a sports coach or a teacher – about their experiences. They can also contact Childline on 0800 1111 in confidence.
The Anti-Bullying Alliance is a coalition of dozens of organisations and individuals working together to achieve a vision to stop bullying and create safer environments in which children and young people can live, grow, play and learn. For more information go to anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk.
