CHILDREN in Ipswich are today better equipped to deal with the problem of bullying after a week long campaign to get the right messages across.Schools throughout the town held special assemblies, classes and staged a range of activities to mark National Anti Bullying Week, which aims to help children cope affected by bullying.

CHILDREN in Ipswich are today better equipped to deal with the problem of bullying after a week long campaign to get the right messages across.

Schools throughout the town held special assemblies, classes and staged a range of activities to mark National Anti Bullying Week, which aims to help children cope affected by bullying.

Marilyn Such, headteacher at Ravenswood Primary School in Ravenswood Avenue, said: “We had a whole school assembly to get things started off at the beginning of the week which provoked a lot of discussion about what bullying means.

“We are trying to get the message across to children that if they are being bullied they should tell somebody and if they see somebody else being bullied they should tell a teacher or member of staff.

“It's about giving them the skills to deal with it if it happens to them or somebody they know.”

Many schools have been focusing on the theme of cyber bullying on the internet and the safe use of mobile phones, which is seen as a growing problem, coinciding with the increasing dominance of computers in children's social interactions.

Miss Such said: “Cyber bullying was a big theme this year as so many children have computers and mobile phones, they can be targeted by bullies in this way.”

Shaun Valentine, headteacher at Sprites Primary School, in Stonechat Road, said: “We held a special assembly so we could remind children how they should be acting together.

“The main message is to make sure that adults are aware of what's going on because we can't always see what's happening.”

A group of school students at Chantry High School, in Mallard Way, who form the schools peer mentoring scheme CHUMS, have helped organise activities during anti-bullying week.

The busy week of assemblies, activities and workshops to get children thinking about bullying culminated in year eight pupils releasing 100 balloons from the school playground.

Each of the balloons had a tag attached which contained a positive anti-bullying message written by staff and students.

Have you been a victim of cyber bullying? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.