Friendship Friday & Anti-Bullying Week 2022

Friendship Friday & Anti-Bullying Week 2022

14th - 18th November 2022

The theme this year is 'Reach Out'.

The theme came about following consultation with teachers and pupils by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which coordinates Anti-Bullying Week every year in England and Wales. Teachers and children wanted a theme that empowered them to do something positive to counter the harm and hurt that bullying causes.

Following the success of the campaign in 2021 – when 80% of schools marked the week, reaching over 7.5 million children and young people – Anti-Bullying Week will remind everyone whether it’s in school, at home, in the community or online, let’s reach out and show each other the support we need.

Our call to action:

- Bullying affects millions of lives and can leave us feeling hopeless. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If we challenge it, we can change it. And it starts by reaching out.

- Whether it’s in school, at home, in the community or online, let’s reach out and show each other the support we need. Reach out to someone you trust if you need to talk. Reach out to someone you know is being bullied. Reach out and consider a new approach.

- And it doesn’t stop with young people. From teachers to parents and influencers to politicians, we all have a responsibility to help each other reach out. Together, let’s be the change we want to see. Reflect on our own behaviour, set positive examples and create kinder communities.

- It takes courage, but it can change lives. So, this Anti-Bullying Week, let’s come together and reach out to stop bullying.

Anti-Bullying Week 2021

Friendship Friday 2021 was celebrated on Friday 19th November, towards the end of Anti-Bullying Week. Every year Anti-Bullying Week is coordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, and it is a great opportunity to raise awareness of bullying and celebrate positive relationships.

The theme of Anti-Bullying Week 2021 was 'One Kind Word', and we celebrated friendships with free workshops, lesson plans, guides, surveys, blogs, fundraisers and many other activities to help spread kindness and support positive relationships development.

We teamed up with BounceTogether to provide schools with free online surveys to help measure their community’s experience of kindness, for pupils, staff and parents/carers. We had an overwhelming response to the surveys with over 200 primary and secondary schools and 1150 pupils participating in the first few weeks. You can read about our findings in our  'How Kind are We Survey Report'.

To help schools celebrate and foster kindness we developed a free 'Creating a Kinder School Community' guide. Download it here.

Our friends at Peters booksellers have kindly put together these book lists to support your anti-bullying activities with children of all ages:

• Primary
• Secondary
• One Kind Word

Elmer the Patchwork Elephant is an official partner of Friendship Friday and we are proud to work together to spread kindness to children and families throughout England and Wales. Together, we've developed lesson plans and activities for early years settings that help spread kindness and support positive relationships development.⠀⠀

We are also enormously grateful that many schools and supporters raise funds for Kidscape during Anti-Bullying Week and throughout the year.  Every penny you donate help us prevent bullying and protect young lives.