Bullying rife in schools with 1 in 4 kids saying they’ve
been bullied in the last year
One in four children have been verbally bullied in the past
year, according to figures released today by the Anti-Bullying
Alliance, part of leading children’s charity the National
Children’s Bureau.
The study has been released to mark the start of the
Anti-Bullying Week campaign which begins today (Monday 14
November). This year, Anti-Bullying Week highlights the worrying
trend of verbal bullying and the casual use of derogatory language
- a widespread phenomenon not just amongst school children, but in
society as a whole.
The results show that around a quarter (26%) of 11-16 year olds
have directly experienced verbal bullying, with the vast majority
(79%) happening at school. Almost 40% of respondents also reported
being bullied online or my mobile phone.
81% of secondary school pupils think verbal bullying is a
problem in their school and two thirds (66%) say they have
witnessed some form of verbal bullying in the past year. More than
1 in 8 (14%) of 11-16 year olds have considered missing school for
fear of being verbally bullied.
The results also show that 54% of respondents would turn to a
teacher for help and advice, highlighting the important role of
teachers and schools in tackling bullying behavior.
Ross Hendry, Chair of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said: ‘These
figures highlight how much of a problem verbal bullying is.
Sometimes there is a tendency to see verbal bullying as being less
serious than physical bullying. But the emotional and psychological
impact can be just as damaging and may affect young people’s
self-esteem and confidence to the point where they don’t want to go
to school.
‘The figures also show that most verbal bullying takes place in
schools. It’s imperative that the school community - teachers,
carers, parents, and pupils work together to build and maintain an
ethos of respectful behavior so that children and young people are
kept safe from all forms of bullying.’
‘Casual name calling and the use derogatory language – so common
in our schools and in society more generally - can lead to verbal
bullying being seen as acceptable.’
The Anti Bullying Alliance brings together over 130
organisations who are committed to tackling bullying. This year’s
Anti-Bullying Week theme is ‘Stop and think: words can hurt’ and
the Anti-Bullying Alliance is calling on everybody to challenge
casual name calling and the use of derogatory words.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) is a unique coalition of over
130 members from the voluntary, public and private sectors, who
work together to reduce bullying and create safer environments in
which children and young people can live, grow, play and learn. ABA
is based at the National Children’s Bureau. For more information
visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
Anti-Bullying Week 2011 takes place 14-18 November 2011. This
year’s campaign marks the ninth anniversary of the week in England.
For more information on how you can get involved in Anti-Bullying
Week 2011, and for details of the 100’s of events taking place
throughout the country visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
The National Children’s Bureau’s (NCB) mission is to advance the
well-being of all children and young people across every aspect of
their lives. As the leading national charity which supports those
working with children, young people and families across England and
Northern Ireland, we focus on identifying and communicating high
impact, community and family-centred solutions. We work with
organisations from across the voluntary, statutory and private
sectors through our membership scheme, and through the sector-led
networks and partnership programmes that operate under our
charitable status. For further information, visit
www.ncb.org.uk
Research conducted by TNS Omnibus - part of TNS-RI -for the
Anti-Bullying Alliance, between September and October 2011. 875
young people aged 11-16 in England responded to the
questionnaire.
For further information on ABA and Anti-bullying Week
please contact the NCB Media Office:
media@ncb.org.uk
0207 843 6044/5
07721 097 033
The Anti-Bullying Alliance offers the following advice
for children/young people and parents:
For children and young people
· Bullying is not your fault. It is always wrong and you do not
have to put up with it.
· Let someone know what is happening as soon as possible. Talk
things through with a friend, your family, or your teachers.
· Do not do or say anything in response to the bully. Stay calm
and remove yourself from the situation wherever possible. If it is
happening through your phone or the internet, keep a copy of the
messages or images but do not reply or respond.
· Keep a note or a diary of what is happening.
· Be confident – you have done nothing to deserve this.
· Be assertive.
· You could say ‘This is not funny. This is bullying. This is
wrong.’
· Think who can help you – young people or adults.
· Seek help from other young people e.g. school might have a
peer mentor or buddy scheme
· Say to someone ‘Please would you watch what is happening here’
and ask them to help you report the incident.
· Sometimes it can help to talk to someone outside of the
situation. You could call Childline on 0800 11 11
For Parents
Help for Parents
· If you think your child is being bullied, don’t panic– try to
keep an open mind: Your key role is listening, calming and
providing reassurance that the situation can get better when action
is taken. Provide a quiet, calm place where they can talk about
what is happening.
· Listen and reassure them that coming to you was the right
thing to do: It may not be easy for a child to talk about being
bullied so it is important to try to find out how they are feeling,
what has happened, when and where. Though at this stage it is not
so much
about establishing a set of facts as encouraging, talking and
listening.
· Assure them that the bullying is not their fault and that you
are there to support them: remind them that they can also have the
support of family and friends.
· Find out what the child or young person wants to happen: help
them to identify the choices available to them and the potential
next steps to take; and the skills they may have to help solve the
problems.
· Discuss the situation with your child’s school: the law
requires all schools to have a behaviour policy which sets out the
measures that will be taken to encourage good behaviour and respect
for others and to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils.
Parents can get advice and support from the Family Lives Parentline
on 0808 800 2222 or at www.familylives.org.uk.