Hundreds back new anti-bully petition

LOCAL MUM HEADS ANTI-BULLY FIGHT

- PAUL BEHAN

Almost 700 people have signed a mum's petition demanding a change in the law to help tighten up anti-bullying legislation.

Ashley Stirling claims her seven year-old son Josh has been the victim of bullying at an East Ayrshire primary school.

And now the mum, from Cumnock, is leading a campaign to make sure there's a statutory process in place to protect victims of bullying.

Ashley said: "My child has experienced repeated bullying at primary school and through this I discovered that Scotland has no legally required anti-bullying procedures for schools.

"Each school is encouraged to follow guidance but there is no legal duty, which means responses are inconsistent and many families are left without proper support."

Ashley continued: "I've spoken to several other parents who have had similar experiences and it’s clear this is not a local issue, it's a national problem affecting thousands of children. The most recent Health & Wellbeing Census shows that almost one in three pupils report being bullied, yet there is still no statutory process in place to protect them.

"I am currently waiting on correspondence from an MSP and in the queue for a Scottish Parliament petition, but that process could take until after the next election in May 2026. Because of this long wait, I have launched a public petition to start pushing for change now."