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Bullying

What is bullying?

Bullying is deliberately hurtful behaviour, repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves.

It can happen anywhere, including school, the street, on the internet, even at home and can happen to anyone.

Bullying can take many forms, but the four main types of bullying are:

  • Physical (e.g. hitting, kicking, pushing, pinching, theft of personal belongings)
  • Verbal (e.g. name calling, taunting, mocking, racist remarks)
  • Indirect (e.g. spreading rumours, excluding people from groups)
  • Cyber bullying (e.g. bullying by mobile phone or through the internet)

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Advice for young people

Bullying can happen to anyone. All of us, no matter how brave or how old, can feel hurt by the way people treat us. If you are being bullied, you might think that if you tell, it will get worse, or that other people won’t like you. Follow for bullying advice for young people

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Help if your child is being bullied

If you have serious concerns about your child's emotional health, you should talk to your GP.

Helpline information

The Family Information Service runs an anti-bullying helpline for parents and carers. If your child is being bullied and you want advice on what to do, call the helpline on 0845 090 8044 or 01926 742274. The helpline is open from 9am - 5:30pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am - 5pm on Fridays.

The complaints procedure in schools

If your child is being bullied at school, the following procedures should be followed:

  • First of all, talk to your child’s teacher to see if they are aware of the situation. Remember to try and stay calm.
  • Check regularly with your child to see if things have improved. If not, make an appointment to talk with the head teacher at your child’s school. Take any notes or evidence you have about what has happened.
  • If after the meeting with the head teacher you are still unhappy, you can write formally to the school’s Governing Body. Check your school’s Complaints Policy for more information on how to do this.
  • Finally, if you are unhappy with the Governor’s response, you should contact the Local Authority Complaints Officer on 01926 742 256. However, the local authority will not look at your complaint until the school’s governing body has been made aware it.

Keep a bullying diary

If you and your child can keep a record about the bullying they have experienced, it can be really helpful when you are talking to your child's teacher or another adult about how to sort it out. Get your child to try and remember and write down as much as they can about what happened, when and where the bullying took place and who was involved in a Bullying Diary.

Bullying Diary (pdf, 33Kb)

Tips on how to write a letter of complaint to the school's headteacher or governing body

If after speaking to your child's teacher, the bullying continues, you may want to write a letter of complaint to the school's headteacher or governing body. The factsheet below gives tips and advice on how to write a letter to the school's head or governing body to get your complaint investigated and dealt with effectively:

Writing a letter of complaint to your child's school (pdf 248Kb)

Other Downloads and Documents

For more information on different forms of bullying and how to deal with it, you can download the Family Information Service's Dealing with Bullying - A Parent's Guide from the Documents and downloads section of this page.

Dealing with Bullying - A Parent's Guide (pdf, 511Kb)

This leaflet gives you tips on preventing and tackling bullying, signs to look out for if you suspect your child is being bullied, how to deal with cyberbullying and prejudice-driven bullying as well as advice on what to do if your child is doing the bullying. This leaflet is also available in Polish, Portuguese and Panjabi.

You can also download information and advice on dealing specifically with:

Bullying and children with special educational needs (pdf, 241Kb)

Prejudice-driven bullying (pdf, 228Kb)

Anti-bullying advice for foster carers (pdf, 156Kb)

The Family Information Service's Surfing Safely - Your Family's Guide to Internet Safety will also give you detailed advice on dealing with cyberbullying.

Surfing Safely - Your Family's Guide to Internet Safety (pdf, 217Kb)

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Bullying and exclusion from school

Bullying can lead to children being excluded from school. For more information ring the Exclusions Officer on 01926 742517.

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Further help

The organisations and services listed below can offer expert advice and support on dealing with bullying.

National helplines

  • ChildLine - Tel: 0808 800 5793
  • Kidscape - Tel: 0845 205 204 - Bullying counsellors available Monday to Thursday 10am - 4pm
  • Family Lives - Tel: 0808 800 2222 - Free confidential help for anyone looking after a child.
  • Get Connected - Tel: 0808 8084994 - Free confidential helpline for young people.
  • Samaritans - Tel: 08457 90 90 90 - Helpline for those in distress.
  • Advisory Centre for Education - Tel: 0808 800 5793 - Advice line for parents on all matters concerning schools.

Websites

  • Childline - is a free, confidential 24 hour counselling service for children and young people in trouble or danger. They offer advice and support to children, young people and adults on a range of topics including child abuse and bullying.
  • Be Someone to Tell - is a website for parents who are concerned about bullying in their child's life, both outside and within school. They can help you to support your child build healthy friendships and be safe at every stage of their life.
  • Kidscape - helps to prevent bullying and child abuse. They provide information, advice and resources on how to keep children safe from harm.
  • Direct Gov - Bullying - gives information, support and advice to parents and carers on what to do if their child is being bullied.
  • Bullying UK - is an award-winning charity which is dedicated to providing detailed help and advice for the victims of bullying and their parents and carers.

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