FWCF calls on stakeholders to move beyond awareness campaigns and ensure that children are meaningfully protected from bullying

October 8, 2026

As Jamaica observes national bullying week, the Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF) is calling on the Government, schools, and other stakeholders to move beyond awareness campaigns and ensure that children are meaningfully protected from bullying.

FWCF says a school policy stating that bullying is prohibited does not, by itself, protect children.

It says policies are only effective when schools have clear mechanisms to receive, investigate, and respond to complaints, protect children who report incidents, and ensure appropriate accountability.

FWCF notes that in some school environments, students who report misconduct risk being labelled an “informer” and subjected to further jeering or isolation, and this creates a culture of silence where children may conclude that speaking up will only make matters worse.

Project Officer at FWCF, Tasheera Thompson said children cannot be expected to keep speaking up, if safe environments have not been created for them to do so.

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The foundation says Jamaica must also confront the absence of dedicated anti-bullying legislation establishing a comprehensive national framework for preventing, reporting, and investigating incidents.