MORE than 10,000 school pupils have taken part in talks about the effects of anti-social behaviour.

Since November, Stockton Borough Council's anti-social behaviour team has visited schools across the borough to spread their message - Respect: Give some, Get some.

The team gave the first talks in November after Thornaby Community School headteacher Linda Russell-Bond suggested they might improve pupil behaviour.

The positive feedback from this assembly led to visits to other schools.

Talks to smaller groups of pupils now form part of schools' personal, social and health education curriculum, and are given by the council's senior anti-social behaviour officer, Gary Collins, accompanied by PC Darren Beer.

Pupils see a DVD which follows the behaviour of a group of children acting anti-socially and the serious consequences of their actions.

The actors are all pupils of Grangefield School, Stockton, or members of the council's anti-social behaviour team.

Pupils then debate the issues raised in the DVD, discuss how others may see their behaviour as anti-social.

The anti-social behaviour team also holds full school assemblies in which they explain what happens to someone who behaves anti-socially, from warning letters sent to parents, right up to anti-social behaviour orders.