IN MY VIEW

AS a campaigner who has worked for many years with children and young people who are struggling emotionally, it absolutely breaks my heart to hear about Britney’s story.

It’s awful to read of the suffering her family went through and still are going through.

No child should have to deal with abuse like this but, sadly, thousands have to deal with it every day.

Adolescence is a time of great change, when young people are trying to work out who they are.

So, at that young age, negative comments can be hugely painful, something that adults are more easily able to brush off.

Many parents of young people struggling with bullying feel totally helpless.

And with so much of the abuse happening online, it’s a world many parents just don’t understand.

Networking through social media or gaming amplifies behaviour that was hitherto confined to the classroom or the street, and it’s relentless.

Statistics released this week in England show young women are the group most likely to suffer mental health problems, with one in five reporting a mental health issue, and bullying is very likely to be a key driver of this.

We need a national UK-wide strategy to help children and young people build their inner strength and resilience to cope with bullying and other issues.

We need to teach young people to care for each another, to help them develop empathy and be good citizens online as well as face-to-face.

And we have to look at how we rein in the internet from being the wild west it is currently and how we make it a safer place.

We must also provide support for parents, with comprehensive parenting resources, and opportunities for parents to support one another.

Young people must also be able to access support through peer support initiatives and from a range of professionals, and we must also equip schools to be able to manage the tsunami of issues young people are growing up with.

Let’s make sure the tragedy of Britney’s death leads to real change and Annette’s brave words help prevent other future suffering and pain for young people and their families.