More than 14,000 students at schools and colleges across Somerset have been learning how to safely stand up for others through Active Bystander assemblies.
Commissioned by Somerset Council through its Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) and delivered by Collaborate Digital, the assemblies help young people recognise when something is wrong and understand how they can take safe, positive action.
In addition, members of the Somerset Youth Parliament have launched an Active Bystander campaign, featuring videos, an article, audio content and a PowerPoint shaped by young people, for young people.
The campaign shows the different ways young people can be an Active Bystander. This could mean offering support, reporting a concern or getting help from someone they trust. Crucially, being an Active Bystander does not mean putting yourself at risk.
Three Youth Parliament members from Haygrove School, Kieran, Layla-Jo and Ruby, helped shape the campaign resources and launched it at the school’s Active Bystander assemblies for Years 8 and 9.
Kieran, said:
“When Youth Parliament was approached by Mark (Collaborate Digital) and the VRP with the idea of working together on the campaign, we were so excited to collaborate on such an important project.
“Research shows that 55% of young people would stay a passive bystander if they were faced with a situation. With the resources that my fellow members and I created, we hope we can reduce this percentage.”
Mrs Waller, Assistant Head at Haygrove School, said:
“We are incredibly proud of Kieran, Layla-Jo and Ruby for the time, effort and thought they have dedicated to this project. It has been fantastic to see our students working alongside partners from across Somerset to create resources that will have a positive impact on young people.
“Their involvement demonstrates the importance of student voice, and the valuable contribution young people can make when shaping messages for their peers.”
Cllr Heather Shearer, Lead Member for Children, Families and Education and Chair of the Safer Somerset Board, said:
“It is wonderful to see young people leading this campaign and helping to create messages that will speak directly to their peers.
“We are also incredibly proud that more than 14,000 students across Somerset are taking part in Active Bystander assemblies. This means young people across the county are learning how they can safely look out for one another, whether that is at school or in their wider community.
“We want young people to feel confident that they can make a difference, while being clear that they should never put themselves at risk.”
Access the campaign assets here.
The project is funded by a grant from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and delivered by Somerset Council through the Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership. It is also supported by the Safer Somerset Partnership, which brings organisations together to help reduce crime and disorder and make communities feel and be safe.