Browse Sections

• Education 
• Business
• Blog
• Special reports

Competition

Win tickets to an npower Test Match

Asian News has teamed up with Test match sponsor, npower, to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a pair of tickets for the England v New Zealand Test Series at Old Trafford.

Click here for details

Weather

Partly sunny
Temp High: 15°C / 60°F
3 day forecast

| Submit Comments | View Comments(1)

What's this?

• Email
• del.icio.us
• Digg
• reddit
• Facebook
• StumbleUpon
• Newsvine
• Google Bookmarks
• Netscape
• Technorati
• Windows Live
• Yahoo! MyWeb
• Ma.gnolia

(l-r) Kamal Williams, Fazilla Bhana and Abu Suleman try out the system with Stretford neighbourhood policing team member Alastair Macdonald
advertisement

Pupils log on to beat bullies

PUPILS at a Greater Manchester school can report bullying and anti-social behaviour to the police through their computers.

Students at Stretford High are among the first in the area to be able to highlight problems via a special website.

Police hope it will give children the courage to step forward with information when they might be too afraid to approach an adult.

An officer at Stretford Police Station will check the site each day for any messages left by pupils. It will also be monitored by a teacher.

The internet-based crime-reporting system is called School Help Advice Reporting Page (Sharp).

One other school in Greater Manchester, Buile Hill in Salford, operates the system. There are plans to get more involved if it proves a success.

Gill Houghton, deputy headteacher at Stretford High, said: "This system will prove useful for any school that uses it.

"If it stops one child from being attacked and gives them the courage to come forward, then it'll be worth it. We want to ensure that students are safe at school but outside of school as well.

"Some don't feel confident talking about certain things to an adult, so this will help them to do that in confidence."

Abu Suleman, 14, said: "I think I would find it hard to go to the police because I've never spoken to a police officer and wouldn't know how to express how I feel to someone I didn't know.

"But the Sharp System is good because it gives you advice as well."

Kamal Williams, 11, said: "I would use it if I saw a crime or somebody being bullied. If you're scared of someone, you can use it and they'll never find out."

The system also offers children an opportunity to leave their details if they do want return contact or help.

Chief Supt Janette McCormick, from Trafford Police, said: "If this system stops one person from suffering any harm, makes one person think twice before carrying out a harmful action or crime against someone or gives that one person who is crying out for help a `voice' then it has achieved what the system was created for."

The Sharp System was set up by a police officer in Merseyside and 11 schools there are now taking part.

The website had 9,000 hits from pupils at Merseyside schools during its first weeks of operation.

Pupils can voice concerns on the site about issues such as bullying and hate crime.

The scheme, which some say is like a children's version of the Crimestoppers message line, also offers advice on drugs and anti-social behaviour.

What do you think? Have your say.