There is absolutely no doubting the fact that bullying and cyber-bullying are two of the biggest issues facing children and young people today, and serious intervention and action is needed to adequately address these problems.
However, a new TV show that plans to go undercover and expose school bullies is already tipped to cause controversy before even being aired.
The Bully Project is due to go out on ITV this year and, according to its own host, Ashley Banjo, is guaranteed to split opinion.
Show bosses attach cameras to the young victims of bullying, sending them out to catch out the perpetrators, who are unaware that they are being filmed.
According to early reports, the show’s footage captures both verbal and physical bullying, and features children aged from 12 to 18.
While show host Banjo admits that parents are bound to be upset or against the premise of the show, he defended its merits.
“This isn’t a witch hunt that targets children or labels them bullies. After the footage is collected comes the intervention. We go to the school and hope they’ll let us intervene,” said Banjo.
He also admitted that it will prove to be an emotional watch for viewers: “It’s about spending a minute in the life of this child who is going through hell. It is very emotional watching footage of a child saying, ‘No, no, no’. It’s tough. This is more of a last chance solution.”
What are your thoughts?