A COUNTY Limerick school has won the ISPCC’s Shield Youth Award for creating awareness about bullying and helping to empower children to stand up to their harassers.
The ISPCC’s anti-bullying campaign encouraged Transition Year students to get involved and focus on their personal development, innovation, creativity, business and marketing skills. The aim of Shield Youth Award is for students to plan a fundraising event or idea to support both their school and the ISPCC anti-bullying campaign.
Students from Scoil Mhuire in Askeaton competed against peers from two Dublin schools to take home the top prize of a specially commissioned crystal award. Their winning project focused on the “role of the bystander” and by writing a song and creating a board-game the Askeaton students demonstrated the long term impact bullying can have on children.
The County Limerick teenagers were crowned victors of the project by Celebrity Apprentice stars Caroline Downey and John McGuire.
In 2013, Childline volunteers answered a frightening 8,059 calls related to physical, cyber and verbal bullying.
