CHESHIRE’S crime boss wants young people who have been bullied to tell their story.

Cheshire’s police and crime commissioner David Keane has initiated this anti-bullying commission with the aim of tackling what he deems ‘an epidemic among all generations in our society’, as well as improving the support services available to victims.

The commission will travel across Cheshire throughout August giving people the opportunity to share their experiences of bullying, both on and off-line.

This initial stage will focus on giving young people under 25 a voice, the findings of which are set to be reported in early 2020.

There will then be another two stages exploring workplace bullying and the targeting of older people, with the aim of capturing a broad and representative selection of perspectives.

These calls for evidence will not only ask people about their first-hand experiences of bullying but also what support services they would like to see in place to support future victims of bullying.

The evidence collated will then be reviewed by the commission members and used to develop a set of recommendations for police, schools and elected representatives to consider how they can provide more protection for victims.

The commission will also capture some interviews on camera, the footage of which will be used in a documentary centred on giving a realistic portrayal of the effects of bullying on our communities.

PCC David Keane said: “We see the devastating effects bullying can have on the self-esteem or confidence of young people every day. In some cases it’s even led to suicide or self-harm. With the advent of cyber-bullying, bullying can now be relentless with no respite for its victims.”

He continues: “We need to do more to protect young people but first we need to understand what support mechanisms need to be in place. What better way to do this than speaking to those who have lived experiences of bullying.”

The commission will reach Warrington today, Tuesday, and the event will take place at VPX at Victoria Park between 11am to 4pm.

There’s also the opportunity for under 25s to tell their story online by clicking the following link: cheshire-pcc.gov.uk/what-im-doing/get-involved/public-consultations/open-consultations/anti-bullying-commission-call-for-evidence/