History
In 2000 Louise Burfitt-Dons wrote a set of 40 anti-bullying monologues for teachers to use in class entitled Act Against Bullying. A playwright (born Louise Byres) whose daughter had been bullied at school, Burfitt-Dons questioned the current advice given to victims to simply report the situation believing that this could lead on to reprisals. The Act Against Bullying monologues were published in 2001 While they accurately portrayed the insidiousness of the newer forms of bullying but it was evident that what people wanted to know was what to do about it. ‘I didn’t realise what I had started,’ said Burfitt-Dons. She formed a voluntary organisation and called it Act Against Bullying in 2002 to be able to provide some practical advice.
The charity began by profiling and identifying a type of bullying as Exclusion to Cause Distress based on a deliberate isolation from a crowd and published advisory leaflets for teachers as well as coping tips for teenage victims. The organisation began attracting funds and was registered with the Charity Commission in October 2003. Despite being an independent charity still staffed entirely by volunteers it has since helped thousands of children and their parents through their anti-bullying activities and the Act Against Bullying website. AAB is shortlisted for The Guardian Charity Award 2008.
Read more about this topic: Act Against Bullying
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