Act Against Bullying
Encyclopedia
Act Against Bullying is a national charity
in the United Kingdom
. It was founded in 2003 by Louise Burfitt-Dons
. The charity's purpose is to help children who are bullied at school - by providing them with confidential advice - and to campaign to raise public awareness of the suffering of victims. The AAB website offers supportive messages and information on all forms of systematic bullying, in particular psychological bullying. The site also features advice on more modern forms of bullying - such as exclusion bullying and cyberbullying.
(born Louise Byres) whose daughter had been bullied at school, Burfitt-Dons questioned the current advice given to victims to simply report the situation believing that this could lead on to reprisals. The Act Against Bullying monologues were published in 2001 While they accurately portrayed the insidiousness of the newer forms of bullying but it was evident that what people wanted to know was what to do about it. ‘I didn’t realise what I had started,’ said Burfitt-Dons. She formed a voluntary organisation and called it Act Against Bullying in 2002 to be able to provide some practical advice.
The charity began by profiling and identifying a type of bullying as Exclusion to Cause Distress based on a deliberate isolation
from a crowd and published advisory leaflets for teachers as well as coping tips for teenage victims. The organisation began attracting funds and was registered with the Charity Commission in October 2003. Despite being an independent charity still staffed entirely by volunteers it has since helped thousands of children and their parents through their anti-bullying activities and the Act Against Bullying website. AAB is shortlisted for The Guardian
Charity Award 2008.
as the antithesis of much of bullying actions. Its colours are red and white for strength and peace with a white silicone wristband. It has been a member of the Anti-Bullying Alliance since 2004. In September 2005, AAB was invited to join the World Kindness Movement
and is also known as Act Against Bullying – UK Kindness Movement
.
. To participate in this annual event, schools can download resources - such as assembly notices, AAB kindness certificates for presentations to reward anti-bullying behaviour and posters - from the Act Against Bullying website.
on Armistice Day
2009 by Baroness Hayman and Lord Grocott
in June 2005 as part of the semi-final of the Queens Cup Tournament when charity founder Louise Burfitt-Dons presented the Act Against Bullying cup to the Dubai Polo Team which included Adolfo Cambiaso
. The Dubai Team won it again in 2006. In 2007 it was won by the Ellerston White polo team.
.
She was guest speaker at the forum held by the Women's Conservative Organisation on cyberbullying at the House of Commons
in June 2007 along with Shadow Minister for Children Tim Loughton
.
The charity launched a poster campaign Grade Not Degrade in November 2006 and wrote to all TV channels and OFCOM
calling for a reduction in unnecessary aggression on TV and in the media believing it to be a prime cause of copycat violence in society http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment.cfm?id=116102007 and leading to more bullying in schools.
http://www.hamishbrownmbe.com/charities.html and ex-Fire Commissioner Brian Robinson, many celebrities have appeared in support of the charity at its fundraising events including Hayley Westenra
and Duaine Ladejo. Another was Big Brother star Jade Goody
who was brought along as a guest to the Act Against Bullying Cup in 2005 in Windsor.
In January 2007 after Goody’s alleged racist bullying behaviour towards fellow Celebrity Big Brother
contestant Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty
the charity received a number of angry emails and phone calls asking for references to Goody to be removed from the Act Against Bullying website. The charity removed a photograph of Goody and published a statement on their website criticising the confrontational format of the Channel 4
show but which appeared to condone Goody’s behaviour.http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=515542 The statement was posted on the Digital Spy Formum by a viewer along with an allegation that Goody was the charity’s patron
.
On 16 January 2007, the national media published the same story and Act Against Bullying was inundated with angry and abusive emails. On the same day, charity founder Louise Burfitt-Dons featured on UK international media stations to refute the fact that Jade Goody was ever a spokesperson or officially linked with the organisation. She claimed that Goody had been brought along as a guest at a function where she had bid for polo lessons with Jack Kidd (see Jodie Kidd
) who was a charity supporter.
Other celebrities attending that day were Nick Knowles
and Julian Bennett. She made a further donation to Act Against Bullying in 2006 following Goody’s mother Jackiey Budden appearance in a homemaker TV show. Burfitt-Dons published a further statement expressing admiration for the way in which Shilpa Shetty had dealt with the bullying. Shilpa Shetty’s management contacted Act Against Bullying to offer Shilpa’s support for the charity in place of Jade.http://in.news.yahoo.com/070210/139/6bz96.html
Other personalities who have been linked with Act against Bullying are Jen Hunter who was publicly humiliated on a TV show over her height. Big Brother contestant Liza Jeynes contacted Act Against Bullying for support over her suicide attempts over cyberbullying and her story is featured on their website. Act Against Bullying has a young following and Joseph McManners
has been photographed for them when he attended a function as well as the 20 year old Hugo Boss model Nicholas Joyce who is a loyal supporter. They have recently worked with Britain's Got Talent
2008 finalists martial arts duo Strike.
In 2008 Fashion Showcase Wales sponsored by L'Oreal
was held in support Act Against Bullying at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiu5Evx534I in 2011 Act Against Bullying's posters and campaign messages featured in the The Inbetweeners Movie
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was founded in 2003 by Louise Burfitt-Dons
Louise Burfitt-Dons
Louise Olivian Burfitt-Dons is an English writer, humanitarian and global warming campaigner who is best known for her anti-bullying activism as the founder of the charity Act Against Bullying....
. The charity's purpose is to help children who are bullied at school - by providing them with confidential advice - and to campaign to raise public awareness of the suffering of victims. The AAB website offers supportive messages and information on all forms of systematic bullying, in particular psychological bullying. The site also features advice on more modern forms of bullying - such as exclusion bullying and cyberbullying.
History
In 2000 Louise Burfitt-Dons wrote a set of 40 anti-bullying monologues for teachers to use in class entitled Act Against Bullying. A playwrightPlaywright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
(born Louise Byres) whose daughter had been bullied at school, Burfitt-Dons questioned the current advice given to victims to simply report the situation believing that this could lead on to reprisals. The Act Against Bullying monologues were published in 2001 While they accurately portrayed the insidiousness of the newer forms of bullying but it was evident that what people wanted to know was what to do about it. ‘I didn’t realise what I had started,’ said Burfitt-Dons. She formed a voluntary organisation and called it Act Against Bullying in 2002 to be able to provide some practical advice.
The charity began by profiling and identifying a type of bullying as Exclusion to Cause Distress based on a deliberate isolation
Solitude
Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, i.e., lack of contact with people. It may stem from bad relationships, deliberate choice, infectious disease, mental disorders, neurological disorders or circumstances of employment or situation .Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one...
from a crowd and published advisory leaflets for teachers as well as coping tips for teenage victims. The organisation began attracting funds and was registered with the Charity Commission in October 2003. Despite being an independent charity still staffed entirely by volunteers it has since helped thousands of children and their parents through their anti-bullying activities and the Act Against Bullying website. AAB is shortlisted for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Charity Award 2008.
Ethos and affiliations
The ethos of the charity is motivational and upbeat in the hope of reducing the [list of suicides] and homicides of young people caused as a result of bullying. It actively promotes the virtues of kindnessKindness
Kindness is the act or the state of being kind, being marked by good and charitable behaviour, pleasant disposition, and concern for others. It is known as a virtue, and recognized as a value in many cultures and religions ....
as the antithesis of much of bullying actions. Its colours are red and white for strength and peace with a white silicone wristband. It has been a member of the Anti-Bullying Alliance since 2004. In September 2005, AAB was invited to join the World Kindness Movement
World Kindness Movement
The World Kindness Movementis a coalition of various kindness movements around the world. The movement was initially conceptualized in 1997 with the aim of bringing like minded kindness movements across the globe together, The current members of the movement are 20 kindness organisations with...
and is also known as Act Against Bullying – UK Kindness Movement
UK Kindness Movement
UK Kindness Movement is a non-monetary, independent organisation promoting kindness campaigns, initiatives and resources. It also serves as a think tank on kindness research and is one of the representatives of the World Kindness Movement in the UK.-History:...
.
Cool to be Kind campaign
Act Against Bullying’s major anti-bullying campaign Cool To Be Kind started as a round of school talks on bullying. The motto was ‘Don’t be Rude, Don’t Exclude, Don’t Push In, Don’t Hurt To Win, It’s Cool to be Kind’. The campaign has been running since 2001 but, since 2005, Cool to be Kind Day has been celebrated in November during Anti-Bullying WeekAnti-bullying week
Anti-Bullying Week is an annual UK event which aims to raise awareness of bullying of children and young people, in schools and elsewhere, and to highlight ways of preventing and responding to it...
. To participate in this annual event, schools can download resources - such as assembly notices, AAB kindness certificates for presentations to reward anti-bullying behaviour and posters - from the Act Against Bullying website.
CyberKind campaign
The aim of this campaign is to counteract and reverse the growing trend of cyberbullying by making a conscious effort to encourage and reward 'niceness on the net'. It was launched at the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
2009 by Baroness Hayman and Lord Grocott
Act Against Bullying Cup
The Act Against Bullying Polo Cup was first held at the Guards Polo ClubGuards Polo Club
Guards Polo Club is the polo club most closely associated with the British Royal Family. HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh has been President of the club since its formation in 1955 and HM The Queen is its Patron...
in June 2005 as part of the semi-final of the Queens Cup Tournament when charity founder Louise Burfitt-Dons presented the Act Against Bullying cup to the Dubai Polo Team which included Adolfo Cambiaso
Adolfo Cambiaso
Adolfo Cambiaso born April 15, 1975 in Cañuelas, Buenos Aires Province is an Argentine polo player with a 10-goal handicap. Currently, he is ranked number 1. He is often referred to as Adolfito or Dolfi.-Early years:...
. The Dubai Team won it again in 2006. In 2007 it was won by the Ellerston White polo team.
Anti-bullying talks and campaigning
AAB Founder Louise Burfitt-dons has given many public speeches on bullying http://www.gordonpoole.com/default.asp?artistID=198 publicly raising concern over the rising statistics of random acts of violence in society and its adverse effect on youth culture, female aggression, and modern trends like happy slappingHappy slapping
Happy slapping was a fad in the UK, in which someone assaulted an unwitting victim while others recorded the assault...
.
She was guest speaker at the forum held by the Women's Conservative Organisation on cyberbullying at the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in June 2007 along with Shadow Minister for Children Tim Loughton
Tim Loughton
Timothy Paul Loughton is a British Conservative Party politician, and has been Member of Parliament for East Worthing and Shoreham since the 1997 general election...
.
The charity launched a poster campaign Grade Not Degrade in November 2006 and wrote to all TV channels and OFCOM
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
calling for a reduction in unnecessary aggression on TV and in the media believing it to be a prime cause of copycat violence in society http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment.cfm?id=116102007 and leading to more bullying in schools.
Public profile
Act Against Bullying has a high media presence which has not been without controversy owing to its glamorous profile. As well as a range of notable voluntary advisors including Hamish Brown MBE, UK’s leading authority on the Protection from Harassment Act 1997Protection from Harassment Act 1997
The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is a piece of United Kingdom law which, among other things, criminalises and creates a right to protection from stalking and persistent bullying in the workplace.-Definition:...
http://www.hamishbrownmbe.com/charities.html and ex-Fire Commissioner Brian Robinson, many celebrities have appeared in support of the charity at its fundraising events including Hayley Westenra
Hayley Westenra
Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
and Duaine Ladejo. Another was Big Brother star Jade Goody
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
who was brought along as a guest to the Act Against Bullying Cup in 2005 in Windsor.
In January 2007 after Goody’s alleged racist bullying behaviour towards fellow Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother could refer to:*Any series of Celebrity Big Brother UK:** Celebrity Big Brother 2001 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2002 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2005 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2006 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2007...
contestant Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty is an Indian film actress and model. Since making her debut in the film Baazigar , she has appeared in nearly 40 Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, her first leading role being in the 1994 Aag. Although she has been through years of decline during her career, Shetty has been...
the charity received a number of angry emails and phone calls asking for references to Goody to be removed from the Act Against Bullying website. The charity removed a photograph of Goody and published a statement on their website criticising the confrontational format of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
show but which appeared to condone Goody’s behaviour.http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=515542 The statement was posted on the Digital Spy Formum by a viewer along with an allegation that Goody was the charity’s patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
.
On 16 January 2007, the national media published the same story and Act Against Bullying was inundated with angry and abusive emails. On the same day, charity founder Louise Burfitt-Dons featured on UK international media stations to refute the fact that Jade Goody was ever a spokesperson or officially linked with the organisation. She claimed that Goody had been brought along as a guest at a function where she had bid for polo lessons with Jack Kidd (see Jodie Kidd
Jodie Kidd
Jodie Kidd is an English television personality and fashion model.-Early life:Jodie was a showjumper as a child and attended St Michael's School, Petworth.-Family:Jodie is the granddaughter from Hon...
) who was a charity supporter.
Other celebrities attending that day were Nick Knowles
Nick Knowles
Nicholas Simon Augustine Knowles is an English television presenter. He is best known for presenting DIY SOS on the BBC. He has also presented Mission Africa, UK's Worst, City Hospital, Coast to Coast, Five's Company, Departure Lounge and Real Rescues.-Early years:Knowles was born in Southall,...
and Julian Bennett. She made a further donation to Act Against Bullying in 2006 following Goody’s mother Jackiey Budden appearance in a homemaker TV show. Burfitt-Dons published a further statement expressing admiration for the way in which Shilpa Shetty had dealt with the bullying. Shilpa Shetty’s management contacted Act Against Bullying to offer Shilpa’s support for the charity in place of Jade.http://in.news.yahoo.com/070210/139/6bz96.html
Other personalities who have been linked with Act against Bullying are Jen Hunter who was publicly humiliated on a TV show over her height. Big Brother contestant Liza Jeynes contacted Act Against Bullying for support over her suicide attempts over cyberbullying and her story is featured on their website. Act Against Bullying has a young following and Joseph McManners
Joseph McManners
Joseph McManners is an English actor and singer. He lives on a non-working farm in Petham near Canterbury and recently left Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys for Tonbridge School after being awarded a drama and academic scholarship.-Singing career:McManners decided to become a singer after he...
has been photographed for them when he attended a function as well as the 20 year old Hugo Boss model Nicholas Joyce who is a loyal supporter. They have recently worked with Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
2008 finalists martial arts duo Strike.
In 2008 Fashion Showcase Wales sponsored by L'Oreal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
was held in support Act Against Bullying at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiu5Evx534I in 2011 Act Against Bullying's posters and campaign messages featured in the The Inbetweeners Movie