Collaboration to support friendship promotion during national Anti-Bullying Week

Academics at University of Northampton (UON) are working with a leading charity to improve young people’s present and future lives by reducing bullying.

Led by Associate Professor in Psychology Dr Rachel Maunder, whose research interests include childhood peer relationships and friendships, she and her colleagues are partnering with Kidscape to promote better understanding of anti-bullying research and strategies.

Kidscape is a national organisation that provides support, training, and advice to challenge bullying and protect young people’s lives.

Next month marks Anti-Bullying Week (11-15 November) and Kidscape will lend their expertise to train a cohort of Psychology students to be volunteers for the charity and gain valuable work-based experience.

This training means these students will be equipped to support Kidscape’s initiatives, including running workshops and training events.

Kidscape will also be running a workshop about anti-bullying with trainee teachers at the University to prepare them for their future professional role.

Associate Professor of Psychology Dr Rachel Maunder is due to deliver a free webinar about friendship and bullying in conjunction with Kidscape as part of their #FriendshipFriday campaign in Anti-Bullying Week. The event will take place on Friday 15 November from 12:15 –12:45pm and Dr Maunder – joined by Professor Claire Monks from University of Greenwich – will discuss research about children’s friendships and how they relate to bullying experiences.

Dr Maunder says: “Bullying can have a devastating effect on children and young people and can mark them, emotionally, psychologically and socially, in the short and long term. Organisations such as the University and Kidscape working together show that it doesn’t have to be this way.

“Professor Monks and I have already produced free-to-access resources for primary educators about helping children remain ‘fast friends’ and navigate the complex world of peer relationships. The Our Class resources include learning activities to help pupils reflect on a series of stories and how the featured characters can resolve their friendship dilemmas. We hope teachers and other school staff use them and find them invaluable additions to their classes as others have.”