EUROPEAN MENTAL HEALTH week takes place next week and this year’s theme is ‘mentally healthy communities’. It ought to afford us all a timely opportunity to check in on our own mental health and the mental health of those around us in our community.
Many things impact our mental health and, as someone who works in an organisation that supports children and young people, I often hear and see a lot of the things that can impact negatively and, indeed, positively on the mental health and wellbeing of children and families.
The issues that impact our mental health in a negative way are often talked about in the media, frequently causing horrified reactions among the public – and rightly so. Exposure to harmful content and conduct is something that is regularly discussed. This can be bullying behaviour in the schoolyard or its environs or age-inappropriate pornographic material online.
Children who reach out to our Childline 24-Hour support line and those we engage with through our therapeutic supports have shared their experiences of bullying with us.
They speak about being alienated, intimidated, belittled, isolated, physically harmed, targeted for being ‘different’, taunted on social media platforms, amongst others. It is clear we all must do more to reduce the incidences of bullying and the harm it can cause.
Research shows that one out of every five students report being bullied. We know from listening to children and young people how bullying has significant impacts on their life, often well into adulthood.
Bullying often doesn’t just impact the mental health of the person targeted, but it can also have a profound effect on any bystander and, at times, the bully themselves. The thought of a child being bullied is a parent’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, for too many children, being bullied whether in the schoolyard or online in their bedroom, is the sad reality that they have to face.
It’s easy to feel as a parent/carer that you’ve somehow failed your child if they have been affected by bullying, but this is simply not the case. Equally, the way to tackle bullying does not involve a one-size-fits-all solution.
Bullying is a complex social issue and those who bully and those who are bullied are found in every strata of society and in many different settings including schools, sporting and youth club activities, and social groups.
Thanks to the prevalence of social media, home is no longer a sanctuary for some. In-person bullying can continue online leaving the target with no perceived safe space.
Schools are a fundamental part of our community too. Research from the 2022 Office of the Ombudsman for Children’s report, Pieces of Us, showed that many of the children and young people quoted had experienced bullying in primary or secondary school. This experience was traumatic and negatively shaped their school experience.
Many respondents of this report felt that their school either did not believe them when they reported bullying, did not investigate incidents properly or did not do enough to address bullying.
It is important to remember that most bullying incidents when responded to in a timely and effective manner can significantly reduce the harm caused and potentially lead to better outcomes for the bullying target involved.
At ISPCC, we have developed the Shield programme, which aims to support schools, clubs and other organisations engaging with children in their efforts to proactively manage bullying and protect children from bullying through prevention and intervention strategies.
The programme was developed as a direct response to the issue of bullying and how it is impacting the mental and emotional health and wellbeing of children.
So, what do we need for mentally healthy communities? In the ISPCC we provide a suite of services under the Childline brand which helps to protect and support the mental health of children and young people, strengthening their resilience and building coping capacity.
However, it is incumbent on every member of society to do their part to minimise all forms of harmful conduct and create mentally healthy communities. We must seize every opportunity to talk to the children and young people in our lives about the stories reported in the media and viewed online, use them as conversation starters to challenge bias and to channel and promote positive and healthy behaviours.
Let’s all take time to evaluate how we are managing our own mental health and the challenges we may be experiencing, but also how we are contributing to the mental health of those around us in our communities.
Victoria Howson is ISPCC’s Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator and manages the Shield Anti-Bullying programme. The 24/7 Childline listening service is always open for any child or young person who wants to talk. You can call Childline for free at any time of the day or night on 1800 66 66 66 or use live chat on childline.ie For more information on our Shield programme, go to https://www.ispcc.ie/shield-anti-bullying-programme/
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say