Young people in the Isle of Man who are the victims of bullying, or know somebody who is, are being encouraged to speak out.

'Make a noise about bullying' is the theme of this year's Anti-Bullying Week, which starts today (Monday).

Martin Macfarlane from the island's Youth Trust says almost three in 10 of secondary school students year olds in the Isle of Man experience some form of bullying - with name calling, appearance and social exclusion being among the top offenders.

He said: 'For many young people this is a difficult topic to talk about but one that can have a huge impact on their lives. The
message I wish to send to those young people is you should not face this alone; try telling a friend, parent, carer, teacher, club worker or contact a support service such as Childline or BullyingUK.'

He said the awareness-raising week represented a great opportunity for parents and carers to have conversatins with children about bullying.

For more information visit www.youth.im

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