Deputy to set up bullying seminar

The Assistant Home Affairs Minister is holding an anti-bullying seminar exclusively for States Members next month because of his concern about a number of serious bullying incidents in secondary schools, and his recognition that it can also happen in the workplace. Deputy Lewis was at a recent anti-bullying seminar attended by a wide range of health professionals whose aim was to draw up an Islandwide strategy to tackle this problem. At that seminar, community paediatrician Dr Mark Jones revealed statistics which showed that over a two-year period 57 children aged between nine and 15 had been treated at the General Hospital for self-harm. Of that number, 30 children had taken an intentional drug overdose, ten had needed treatment for self-inflicted lacerations, and three had deliberately injured their heads.