Definition of bullying: The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face to face or online.
Anti-Bullying Alliance
Physical: hitting, kicking, tripping or the destruction of a person’s property. Physical bullying not only those involved, but may have an impact on bystanders.
Verbal: insults, teasing, name calling, sexual harassment, or threatening language.
Covert: attempts behind the victim’s back to damage the victim’s reputation and includes creating rumours, mimicking, and humiliation.
Cyberbullying: can happen anywhere and at any time. It can be via text or online, making it difficult to control. It includes impersonating a victim, targeting them in an online game, excluding them, trolling or spreading gossip.
Alienation: encouragement of peers to alienate the victim. The victim will have difficulty forming relationships and may be prone to isolation later in life.
Prejudice based / discriminatory: any of the above types of bullying that is motivated by hostility to certain individuals or groups due to their disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or other perceived difference.
There are several reasons children and young people may get involved in bullying, such as:
feeling powerless;
low self-esteem;
trying to get admiration and attention from friends;
fear of being left out if they don’t join in; not understanding how someone else is feeling;
taking out their angry feelings on others;
a culture of aggression and bullying;
being bullied themselves.
This is not an exhaustive list, and as with other issues, you know the children you work with and will know if they are presenting differently:
unexplained injuries;
distress;
anxiety;
broken or missing possessions or damaged uniform/clothing;
changes in habits or behaviour;
complaining of headaches or stomach aches; • lateness/poor attendance;
a sudden change in attainment or engagement in lessons.
Bullying is prevalent across schools and colleges, and can have a devastating effect on individuals. It’s often a barrier to their learning and may have serious consequences for their mental health. Bullying which takes place at an education setting doesn’t only affect an individual during childhood but can have a lasting effect on their lives well into adulthood. We must remember that bullying also affects perpetrators and bystanders.
How they feel about how they look is an important issue for most young people. Body shaming is primarily driven by media representations of an ideal appearance, but issues can be reinforced by peer groups. As with bullying in general, the impact on young people can be life-long and is damaging to their mental health and self-esteem but can also lead to eating disorders and body dysmorphia. As a result, many young people often withdraw and isolate themselves from others.
Online bullying has unique features that can make it as significant, or even more significant, than traditional bullying and should be seen as ‘two sides of the same coin’.
A bystander is a person who does not become actively involved in a situation where someone else requires help and in this way is understood to be a passive observer, an onlooker who watches something happening, but stays on the sidelines and doesn’t intervene or get help, even if someone needs it. In our school communities we want bystanders to become up-standers against bullying to interrupt and speak up to stop bullying
More information can be found in this Bystander Briefing from Anti Bullying Alliance.
Anti-Bullying Alliance - The Anti-Bullying Alliance is a coalition of organisations and individuals that are united against bullying.
Kidscape - Help with Bullying - Kidscape is an award-winning bullying prevention charity. Established in 1985, we support children and their families across England and Wales to challenge bullying and to have happy, healthy relationships.
Kidscape – provides useful information to help you combat bullying and
stay safe.
Act Against Bullying - provide young people with practical advice if they are being bullied.
Preventing Bullying including cyber bullying - DFE guidance
Act Against Bullying - Act Against Bullying's mission is to be able to provide young people with practical advice if they are being bullied.
Family Lives - Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families. If you need to talk, we're here to listen
Actionwork - Offers creative workshops and other resources about bullying.
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