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As an initial member of the Foundation for Reparation and Mediation (F.I.R.M.) in the U.K in the early 1980's, Val developed techniques in relation to work in schools. The mediation programme was moderated by Relate. In 1999 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to look at a range of peer support systems in other countries, many of which used some form of mediation and counselling. Val studied peer support systems in Canada, the U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand and Japan. |
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While in the U.S.A., Val attended an international conference on Mediation and Reparation (2000). This dealt with the application of these systems in the community and judicial processes as well as educational settings.
Some of Val's own work in this area is on the CD ROM Coping with Bullying mentioned below. |
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Before qualifying as an educational psychologist, Val Besag taught in a variety of schools in England. She taught in a village school in Wales for some years, and did some voluntary teaching in Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A. For three years, Val was employed as teacher/psychologist in a school for young people with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties run by M.I.N.D. Val is a governor of Furrowfield School, Gateshead, which is a specialist school for children experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. |
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While working as an psychologist for a local L.E.A. she became committed to promoting awareness of the issue of bullying in schools. She has been delivering training in schools on this issue since 1986. During her term of employment as an educational psychologist with Gateshead L.E.A., Val was appointed as the psychologist working with children with severe emotional and behaviour difficulties, and was responsible for the range of provision designed to meet their needs. |
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Val has a personal interest in dyspraxia. She chose this as the topic for her MSc thesis (1979) and since that time has delivered training to schools and parent groups. She drew attention to the condition in her publications 'Bullies and Victims in Schools' (1989) and 'We Don't Have Bullies Here!' (1992). |
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The subject of Val's doctoral thesis was friendship and aggression among young girls. She is particularly interested in the forms of language girls use to manipulate and dominate and each other. This formed the basis of her latest book shown below. |
Publications
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Understanding Girls' Friendships Fights and Feuds. A Practical Approach to Girls' Bullying. (2006) Open University Press.
Preventing and Responding to Bullying in Schools. (2005) Available from Positive Behaviour Management, 7 Quinton Close, Ainsdale, Merseyside PR8 2TD 01704 575441
'We Don't Have Bullies Here!' Training Manual and Resource Pack. (revised 2002) Published Besag, V.E.
'Coping with Bullying' CD-ROM 1999.
Bullies and Victims in Schools: A Guide to Understanding and Management. (1989) Open University Press. (out of print)
Ordering information
Bullying: A Handbook for Educators and Parents (Handbooks for Educators and Parents) by Ian Rivers, Neil Duncan and Valerie E. Besag. Greenwood Press 2007.
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Awards
| Churchill Fellow of 1999.
The Churchill Travel Fellowship: to visit peer support projects and initiatives in a number of countries. Professionals met overseas have been invited to the U.K. to give key lectures in conferences.
The European Council Violence in Schools Project, 1997.
Val was appointed to the post of Lead Officer. Contributors included Professor Beatrice Benelli and Dottore Ersilia Menesini, University of Padua. SARDES, a government funded research establishment, The Netherlands. IDEKE, the teacher training establishment in Athens, Professor Mona O'Moore, Trinity College Dublin. Babette Diaz, The Centre for Mediation, Paris.
The aim of the project was for the European partners to visit Gateshead L.E.A. for one week to study the range of peer support systems that Val had implemented in Gateshead schools as part of an earlier project. These systems were to be adapted by the partners for use in schools in their own countries. The project culminated in the making of a CD ROM (16 hours) that included training materials and further information for students, parents and others. This is available free of charge to all schools.
The CD ROM 'Coping with Bullying' was awarded 'Best in the World Community Project 1999'
Official project web site
Web site article discussing the above CD-Rom
New Roundabout
G.E.S.T. Project 1995-7
Val was the sole appointment to a project funded to design and implement initiatives to counteract bullying in secondary schools in Gateshead. The initiatives were designed in negotiation with the individual schools to address specific, identified needs. This work encompassed a range of strategies and was the core work of the European Project and CD ROM as outlined above.
The Walter Hindes Page Scholarship
Awarded by the National Union of Teachers/English Speaking Union, 1994.
This funded a three week visit to the U.S.A. in order to exchange views with others working in the field of violence among young people.
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International Conferences
| Presentations at the International Conference for School Psychologists
Melbourne, 1997 - a workshop on adolescent groups and gangs.
Istanbul, 1992 - a workshop on bullying in schools.
U.S.A. 2000
stavanger
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Lecture Tours
| Australia, 1992, 2000, 2002
New Zealand, 1994, 2002
Fiji, 1997
Atlanta university 2003
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| Qualifications: |
PhD University of Durham. |
| MSc in Educational Psychology. University of Newcastle upon Tyne. |
| BSc. in Psychology. University of Durham. |
| Teaching Certificate. University of London. |
University
Courses
| Val contributes to Continuing Professional Development courses organised by local universities. |
| Val was appointed Associate Tutor at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne - Department of Educational Psychology. |
| University of Northumbria - Generic Child and Adolescent Mental Health. |
| Occasional seminars at the University of Sunderland, Department of Psychology and Department of Education. |
Dave Besag
| Qualifications: | M.A. Information and Library Management.
BA (Hons) Business Studies.
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Dave is the conference organiser and in charge of general administration. He will be happy to answer your queries concerning the conferences, training and publications.
valbesag (Training and Publications), 3 Jesmond Dene Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2ET - Tel 0191 281 7298 - e-mail valbesag@valbesag.co.uk - http://www.valbesag.co.uk
