Scotland

Abstract

Scotland is a small northern European country, which is part of the United Kingdom but retains a separate education system. Research suggests that the incidence of bullying in Scottish schools is on a par with that in Scandinavia but slightly lower than in other parts of the British Isles. Action against bullying in Scottish schools was inspired by the Scandinavian example, and supported and encouraged by central and local government. This process has had five components: • the creation of policy • research • the production and distribution of materials and resources • the provision of training and support • the embedding of anti-bullying into the fabric of the education system. Schools across the country have been encouraged to develop anti-bullying policies which are suited to their own circumstances and needs, thereby driving forward a developmental process which has touched many aspects of school life including ethos, discipline, personal safety, parental partnerships, etc. The introduction of anti-bullying policies has been described as a benevolent Trojan horse which allowed new ideas about personal and social education to be smuggled into those schools which were resistant to a more direct approach. Future developments may involve a more holistic approach which requires schools to make an examination of all existing policies and to bring together their common features in a statement about the relationships and rights of all members of a school community - children and adults.