What is bullying?

Bullying is when people are mean to someone or hurt them on purpose. These are some of the ways children describe bullying:

• being called names
  
• being teased including e-mails and text messages
  
• being pushed or pulled about
  
• being hit or attacked
  
• having your bag and other possessions taken and thrown around
  
• having rumours spread about you
  
• being ignored and left out
  
• being forced to hand over money or possessions
  
• being attacked or teased or called names because of your religion or colour
  
• being attacked or teased or called names because of your sexuality

If you are being bullied

You shouldn’t feel ashamed about being bullied. It’s not your fault – but it is important that you get help. No one deserves to be bullied. Is there someone who you would feel comfortable talking to about what’s going on? Maybe a friend, someone at your school, someone you live with or just someone you trust.

• When you’ve decided who to talk to, tell them what’s happening and how it’s making you feel. They might be
  able to tell you what you can do about it, or can help you decide what you want to do next.
  
• If you’re being bullied at school, ask someone (such as a teacher) to tell you about the school’s guidelines on bullying. All schools should have a written policy on bullying, and this may give you an idea of what you can do and what your school should do. If you tell a teacher don't be afraid to keep going back and asking for more help.
  
• If you talk to someone about what’s happening and it doesn’t help, don’t give up. Sometimes you may need
  to talk to more than one person. You have the right to be helped, and don’t have to put up with being bullied. Always remember that it is not your fault.
  
• Trying to remember things accurately can sometimes be difficult, so keep a record of what happens to you. Writing it down is often a good way of being sure about what, when and where things happened.
  
• It’s important to feel safe. Are there ways for you to keep
  yourself out of harm’s way? For instance, you could walk home with friends rather than on your own, or ask someone to stay with you if you feel threatened.

If you witness bullying

Don’t ignore what happens. Let the person who’s being bullied know you’ve seen what’s going on and are concerned. Encourage them to tell someone. If it is in school and you are worried about it, you may need to report the incident. Try to find out who to report bullying to. If you are worried about putting yourself at risk, can you tell someone about the bullying in confidence? Write them a note about what you saw.

• Teachers are often the last to know that bullying is going on. If they are going to be able to do anything about it, they need to know it’s happening.
  
• If there is a problem with bullying in your school you may want to encourage others to get involved in anti-bullying schemes such as poster campaigns or support groups run by pupils. Maybe you could put on a drama presentation to raise awareness in your school.
  
• Are you aware of your school’s antibullying policy? Can you think of ways to make it more effective? You may be able to talk to your school council or members of staff.

If you are bullying someone

• You do have a choice – just because you’ve bullied others in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it!
  
• People who are bullied can feel upset and scared. You can put a stop to that by changing your behaviour.
  
• You can get into a lot of trouble if you keep bullying others – you might get suspended or excluded from school or, in extreme cases, the police might get involved.
  
• Sometimes things happen to you that make you more likely to bully others – being bullied yourself, for instance,
  or having problems at home. It’s important to get help for yourself, rather than taking your frustrations out on others.

Useful Links

• http://www.childline.org.uk/Bullying.asp
• http://www.childline.org.uk/Schools.asp Information for schools - CHIPS (ChildLine in Partnership with Schools)
• http://www.bullying.org/public/frameset.cfm
• http://www.nspcc.org.uk/kidszone/bullying.htm
• http://www.scre.ac.uk/bully/
• http://www.kidscape.org.uk/
• http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/Page.asp
• http://www.nspcc.org.uk/html/home/needadvice/bullying.htm

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