TEACHERS and governors were today urged not to become complacent about bullying in York schools.

The call came from city education chief Janet Looker, as she welcomed delegates to a conference on developing strategies to challenge bullying.

Coun Looker, City of York Council's executive member for education, said bullying could occur in any school, and it was an issue that schools in York could not ignore.

She added schools had to be up front about challenging bullying, and ensuring pupils felt confident about reporting incidents.

"This conference provides an excellent opportunity for schools in the city to share good practice and to send a clear message to pupils that bullying will be taken seriously by York schools and challenged wherever it happens," she said.

The event, at the Moat House Hotel in York, is part of a month-long bullying awareness campaign, run jointly by City of York Council Educational Services and the York NSPCC FULL STOP campaign. It is being supported by the Safer York Partnership, the Child Adolescent Mental Health Service and Asda.

All secondary schools have involved pupils in the campaign - which was featured in the Evening Press last week - asking them about their perceptions of bullying, and particularly what level of bullying was currently taking place and how they wished to see things improved.

Pupils will be questioned again in 12 months time to see how things have changed from their point of view.

The conference was also addressed by one of the country's leading experts on bullying, Professor Peter Smith, head of School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths College, London.

John Stead, the NSPCC's northern division education advisor, said the FULL STOP campaign was committed to supporting listening schools. This conference gave teachers and governors in York the opportunity to find out how to challenge bullying most effectively.

"In York pupils are being asked what to tell us what they think the problems are, and schools can use these insights to create policies to prevent bullying.

"Working together schools, parents and pupils can help put a stop to bullying. We will ensure everyone who is affected by bullying has someone they can turn to for help."

Updated: 11:27 Tuesday, February 05, 2002