Evaluation of the Beatbullying Peer Mentoring Programme

Bullying is consistently identified as one of the key concerns of both young people and their parents. Mounting evidence suggests that bullying is negatively associated with mental health and well-being, not just for victims but also for the bullies themselves as well as for those who witness the incidents. There are increasing concerns about the rising prevalence of bullying through mobile phones and the internet (‘cyberbullying’).

One area of intervention that has received increasing attention is the use of peer support strategies. Recent national guidance – such as the Safe to Learn guidance from the DCSF in 2007 – specifically highlights the importance of pupil engagement and voice at all stages of anti-bullying work, and refers in particular to the use of strategies such as peer mentoring within schools.

Beatbullying registered as a charity in 2002 and has gained increasing recognition for its anti-bullying work in schools and communities in the UK. The central focus of Beatbullying is a peer mentoring programme, involving intense training in listening, mentoring, and online mentoring (‘CyberMentoring’). The programme is intended to combine an effective peer support strategy (both within schools and online) with a substantial programme of opportunities for young people to bring about positive change through leadership and activism in and out of school.