Bullying is top concern for young people, survey finds

Bullying is the biggest concern among young people in Gibraltar, a questionnaire launched by the Voice of Young People group has found.

More than 1,300 young people completed the questionnaire which set out to identify the main issues affecting young people today.

Following which, personnel from the group met with Government Ministers Steven Linares and Dr John Cortes as well as Education Adviser Jackie Linares to discuss the outcomes of the survey.

In a statement the Gibraltar Government said the meeting enabled young people to have a voice and explore a variety of techniques and approaches to address their concerns.

As a result, the group will shortly be meeting with the Department of Education to have an input on the policy and guidelines of “Preventing & Tackling Bullying” in schools.

During the meeting, there was also a request for Arabic to be taught in schools at GCSE level as pupils feel this language is more in keeping with part of Gibraltar’s culture.

“Overall, the meeting was informative and interactive with young people keen to have their views taken seriously and explored at the highest level,” the statement read.

Additionally, the Government explained that due to the success of this initiative, it was agreed that a Questions and Answers session with the Ministers will be organised in the coming months.

Anyone wishing to get involved in the Voice of Young People please contact Caroline Dixon on 20041948. For any general information about the Gibraltar Youth Service or future events please contact Mark Zammit, Principal Youth Officer on mzammit@gibraltar.gov.gi or call 200 78637.