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50% of pupils in Moray’s schools said they had been bullied

Bullies are targeting people because of their allergies.
Bullies are targeting people because of their allergies.

Revelations about racist abuse in Moray’s schools follow a survey where nearly 50% of pupils said they had been bullied.

More than 2,000 pupils aged from eight to 18 were quizzed as part of the study, which was published last year.

Hundreds of children said they had been victimised “several times a week”.

Seventy-seven pupils said they had been called names relating to their race and 62 said they had been picked on because they were disabled.

The questionnaire applied to P4 to S6 pupils, and generated the biggest ever response to a survey carried out by Moray Council.

Earlier this month, the authority pledged to draw up plans to stamp out bullying in playgrounds and classrooms before the end of this year.

Equal opportunities officer, Don Toonen, said: “We will hold interviews with those pupils who indicated they would be willing to discuss their experiences in person.

“As our knowledge and understanding of the issue increases, we will be able to fine tune our reporting mechanisms to ensure that we can differentiate between one-off, repeat and escalating incidences.”

Parents have backed the initiative, but said “openness and honesty” must be at its heart.

Anne-Marie Sword, from Elgin Academy’s parent council, said: “My own view is that it’s important to listen to children. I would welcome anything that does that.

“Honesty and openness about it is very important, too.

“Bullying can come and go, and sometimes it can be very subtle.”