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Bullying is behaviour that hurts someone else - such as name calling, hitting, pushing, spreading rumours, threatening or undermining someone.

It can happen anywhere - at school, at home or online. It's usually repeated over a long period of time and can hurt a child both physically and emotionally.

Bullying that happens online, using social networks, games and mobile phones, is often called cyberbullying. A child can feel like there's no escape because it can happen wherever they are, at any time of day or night.

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Bullying is behaviour that hurts someone else - such as name calling, hitting, pushing, spreading rumours, threatening or undermining someone. It can happen anywhere - at school, at home or online. It's usually repeated over a long period of time and can hurt a child both physically and emotionally.

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CABEAR and the BULLIES: Anti-Bullying Video

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Demi Lovato's Story (An Anti-Bullying Video)

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STOP BULLYING NOW! Made by: Jonathan Kianto Martha Muliadi Stephanie Adeline Tiana Singgih Songs: 1. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato (instrumental) 2. Believe in Me - Demi Lovato (instrumental)

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Are Human | Bully Awareness & Prevention

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This was so touching when I first watched this, bullying is a horrible thing which I have been through myself. Please watch this video and spread the word, hopefully we can make a difference. Thanks, Daniel.

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How to stop bullying at school | girlshealth.gov

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Want to beat bullying in school? From writing a blog to starting a club, read tips on how to stop bullying at school, and help spread our anti-bullying pledge!

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This page provides information on the duties of schools and local authorities to prevent and tackle bullying in schools and action that can be taken by a parent or child to address bullying.

What is bullying?

A definition of bullying is outlined on the gov.uk website and states that the four key characteristics of bullying are:

Repetitive and persistent

Intentionally harmful

Involving an imbalance of power

Causing feelings of distress, fear, loneliness or lack of confidence

Departmental Advice published by the Department of Education Preventing and Tackling Bullying defines bullying as:
"Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. Bullying can take many forms (for instance cyber-bullying via text or the internet), and is often motivated by prejudice against particular groups, for example on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or because a child is adopted or has caring responsibilities. It might be motivated by actual differences between children, or perceived differences. Stopping violence and ensuring immediate physical safety is obviously a school's first priority but emotional bullying can be more damaging than physical; teachers and schools have to make their own judgments about each specific case."

The Department of Education guidance Preventing and Tackling Bullying is government advice to help schools and local authorities address and prevent bullying. There is no legal requirement to follow the advice but it explains what government policies mean in practice.

Bullying can include the following types of behaviour:

Name calling and teasing

Taunting

Mocking

Making offensive comments; verbally, by text message, by email or by social networking sites

Malicious gossip

Stealing

Physical violence

Making threats

Coercion

Isolation from group activities

What duties does a school have to safeguard children?

Anti-bullying policy

Under the Education Inspections Act 2006, section 89 head teachers are required by law to draft a written policy on measures to prevent all forms of bullying. This is their anti-bullying policy.

Section 89 also:

Provides that every school must have measures to encourage good behavior and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. These measures should be part of the school's behavior policy which must be communicated to all pupils, school staff and parents.

Gives head teachers the ability to ensure that pupils behave when they are not on school premises or under the lawful control of school staff.

The Department for Education Preventing and Tackling Bullying advice states that schools should have clear policies in place to deal with bullying and poor behavior which are clear to parents, pupils and staff so that, when incidents do occur, they are dealt with quickly. However, if a school chooses to define bullying for the purposes of its own behavior policy, it should be clearly communicated and understood by pupils, parents and staff.

What duties does a school have to safeguard children?

Section 175 Education Act 2002

This section places a legal duty on maintained schools and Local Authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Section 175 requires two types of arrangements to be made:

To take all reasonable measures to ensure that risks of harm to children's welfare are minimized

To take all appropriate action to address concerns about the welfare of a child, or children, working to agreed local policies and procedures in full partnership with other local agencies

The Government has also issued statutory guidance under s175 called Keeping Children Safe in Education 2015. This applies to all schools whether maintained, non-maintained or independent schools, including academies and free schools, alternative provision academies and pupil referral units. It also includes maintained nursery schools. It states what schools and colleges should do and sets out the legal duties schools must comply with.

Schools also have obligations under the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children2015.

Safeguarding covers more than child protection. The guidance states that it specifically covers issues such as health and safety and bullying.

A failure to have necessary arrangements in place under section 175 may be grounds for the Secretary of State to take action against a Local Authority or Governing Body.

What does the government guidance on preventing and tackling bullying require?

Prevention

The advice states that a school's response to bullying should not start at the point at which a child has been bullied. It notes that the best schools develop an approach to bullying in which school staff proactively gather information about issues between pupils which might provoke conflict and develop strategies to prevent bullying occurring in the first place. This might involve talking to pupils about issues of difference, perhaps in lessons, through dedicated events or projects, or through assemblies. Staff themselves will be able to determine what will work best for their pupils, depending on the particular issues they need to address.

Intervention

School anti-bullying policies and behaviour and disciplinary policies should set out the actions which can be taken to address bullying. The guidance states that schools should apply disciplinary measures to pupils who bully in order to show clearly that their behavior is wrong. Disciplinary measures must be applied fairly, consistently, and reasonably taking account of any special educational needs or disabilities that the pupils may have and taking into account the needs of vulnerable pupils.

Should I take my child out of school?

When parents discover that their child is being bullied, their immediate response is often to remove their child from school until the matter has been dealt with. This is problematic as the school will treat the absence as unauthorised.

At Coram Children's Legal Centre, we often receive calls from parents whose child is simply too frightened to go to school or risks being badly injured if they do. If this is the situation you are faced with then we would advise you to seek a medical certificate from the GP to authorise your child's absence.

Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 puts a duty on parents to ensure that their child of compulsory school age receives a suitable education either by regular attendance at a school or otherwise. Section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996 provides that if a registered pupil that is of compulsory school age fails to attend school regularly the parent is guilty of an offence. Therefore, periods of unauthorised absence can result in you being prosecuted for failing to ensure your child's attendance at school.

Parents can consider alternatives to withdrawing a child from school to ensure the child continues to receive a suitable full time education. This can include contacting the Local Authority and requesting they provide education as part of their section 19 duty for children out of school for other reasons such as bullying, making an in year application to another school, or removing the child from the school roll and home educating.

Please see our How-to guide on Bullying for more information.

Parents can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for their child's non attendance

What are the duties of independent schools to address bullying?

Section 157 of the Education Act 2002 and the Education (Independent Schools Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 require proprietors of Independent schools (including Academies and City Technology Colleges) to have arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are pupils at the school.

Independent schools are also required to publish and implement written policies on the prevention of bullying, having regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State ( Part 3, Schedule 1 to the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010). The problem in relation to independent schools is the inability of parents to challenge their policies and procedures, or the failure to publish them in the first place, as independent schools are not public bodies and are not, therefore, subject to judicial review.

Independent schools are required to publish a written complaints procedure, which is available to parents on request ( Part 7, Schedule 1 to the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010).

Independent schools (including Academies and City Technology Colleges) [are] to have arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are pupils at the school.

What legal action can you take if a bullying problem is not addressed?

If all else fails, you may wish to consider legal action. Before starting any form of legal action, it is wise to consult a criminal law solicitor. Details of solicitors can be found at www.lawsociety.org.uk

Criminal action

Some forms of bullying may amount to criminal behaviour. Children under the age of 10 cannot be prosecuted for a criminal offence.

If your child has been injured, you should take your child to a doctor to obtain medical evidence. As soon as possible, your child should write down the details of all the bullying incidents.

It is advisable to contact the police in cases where the assault is of a serious nature and the school and LA have consistently failed to deal with the bullying. Sometimes, the mere threat of informing the police is enough to spur the school or LA into action. Unfortunately, schools themselves rarely involve the police in bullying incidents, even where there has been serious violence.

The Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Under this Act, it may be possible for a civil injunction to be put in place to restrict the bully's behaviour and for damages to be claimed for the harm suffered by the bullied child. Applications should be made via a solicitor.

Civil action

Judicial review

It may be possible to seek a judicial review of the school or LA's failure to take appropriate action to deal with the bullying situation. As a result, the school or LA may be forced to act.

Judicial review is a public law action. It can only be taken against public bodies or private bodies that perform a public duty. LAs and boards of governors are susceptible to judicial review. So Contact Civil Legal Advice on 0345 345 4345 to see whether you are eligible for legal aid to bring this claim. If you are not eligible you should visit a solicitor.

Judicial review cannot be used where the complaint is against an independent school, as independent schools are not public bodies.

An application for judicial review can be made only once all other possible remedies against the school and LA have been exhausted. Furthermore, you must act promptly. Applications for judicial review must be made within three months of the disputed act or decision (e.g. the decision of the governors or LA not to take any action against the bully), although this time limit can be extended where the court considers that there is good reason for doing so.

In judicial review, the court examines the way in which a decision has been reached and not the merits of the decision as such. An application may be successful, for example, where the school or LA:

failed to follow proper or correct procedures

did not apply the law correctly; or

acted so unreasonably that no other school or LA would have reached such a decision.

A child can apply for judicial review, provided the court believes that he or she has sufficient interest to apply. If a child has left the school and is settled at a new school, he or she is unlikely to have sufficient interest.

Unless it is proved that the LA, school or teacher has also been negligent, a successful application is unlikely to result in the payment of damages. However, a successful judicial review action may have the effect of forcing the school or LA to act to stop the bullying.

Injunctions

It may be possible to obtain an injunction to prevent a bully continuing with his or her behaviour. For this action, you would need to seek advice from a solicitor.

A human rights action

The Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) came into force on 2 October 2000. The HRA 1998 incorporates into UK law the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR). These rights can be found in Schedule 1 of the HRA 1998. All public authorities must act in compliance with Convention rights ( s.6 HRA 1998) and all legislation must be interpreted to comply with them. If a public authority acts in a way which is incompatible with a Convention right, the victim may take legal action against that authority. The term 'public authority' includes LAs, and governors and Head Teachers of schools.

There are two rights which may be of particular assistance to a bullied child who fails to obtain protection against bullying:

Article 3 of the ECHR states: 'No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment'. Corporal punishment has been banned in British schools as a consequence of a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights outlawing physical punishment in schools. Where a school consistently fails to protect a child from bullying by another child or a teacher, this could constitute a failure to uphold a child's right under Article 3. However, the threshold for Article 3 is extremely high.

Article 8 of the ECHR states: 'Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence'. Where children are forced to strip in public changing rooms against their will, or to have their bags and lockers searched, their belongings removed or are exposed to video surveillance, this may not amount to inhuman or degrading treatment, but may infringe their right to respect for private life. Again, however, the standard of proof is extremely high for Article 8. In order for a claim to be brought under the HRA 1998, the bullying would have to be extremely serious and have resulted in physical or psychiatric damage which is supported by strong medical evidence.

A claim under the HRA 1998 must be brought within one year of the breach of a Convention right, although it is not clear whether the strict one year limitation period will always apply to children.

Thus far, the HRA 1998 has been of little use in cases of bullying.

It is advisable to contact the police in cases where the assault is of a serious nature and the school and LA have consistently failed to deal with the bullying

Negligence

You may be able to sue the school, teacher or LEA for damages as compensation for psychiatric damage or physical injuries suffered by your child as a result of a school or teacher negligently failing to act to protect your child from bullying. Negligence arises where a duty of care is owed to the child, and that duty of care is breached resulting in injury or damage to the child.

The law of negligence is very complex. For a case to be successful, it would be necessary to prove the following things:

1. That your child has been bullied
There is no legal definition of bullying. In deciding whether bullying has occurred, the court will look at all the circumstances. It will be necessary to prove that the bullying went beyond normal social interaction between children and was of a serious nature.

2. That the teacher or school owes your child a duty of care
It is well established in law that a school owes its pupils a general duty of care. However, it is far less clear in law how far a school must go to protect a pupil against bullying.

3. That your child has suffered harm as a result of the bullying incidents
This could be physical injuries, psychiatric damage or emotional and psychological damage. The harm must have been a consequence of the bullying incidents, and expert evidence will be needed to prove the damage in court.

4. That the harm was foreseeable
It must have been reasonable to expect that the teacher or school could foresee that your child might suffer harm or damage.

5. That the harm suffered was a direct result of the teacher and school negligently failing to act to protect your child
It would need to be shown not only that the teacher or school knew what was going on, but also that they failed to take reasonable steps to stop it. Schools are not legally required to guarantee the absolute safety of children. However, they must ensure that pupils receive the same level of care and supervision that a reasonably prudent parent would take of his or her own children.

There have been a few negligence actions relating to bullying in schools. Whether a claim is likely to succeed depends very much on the individual circumstances of the case.

You have until your child is 21 to bring a claim for educational negligence

Breach of contract

If your child attends an independent school, you have entered into a contract with the school on behalf of your child. This contract is the instrument that governs the relationship between you, the school and your child.

The school agrees to provide services to your child and may be sued if it fails to provide such services. Such obligations are reciprocal. You may be sued for failing to pay fees and so on. Such a contract is no different from the type of contract which might be entered into with any other supplier of services bought by a consumer.

Coram Children's Legal Centre often receives calls from parents who have removed their child from an independent school because of bullying. The parents want to know whether they are still required to pay the fees for the remainder of the term or year. Generally, parents will be contractually bound to pay, but it is necessary to refer to the contract for a definitive answer to establish whether the school is in breach of contract. The Citizen's Advice Bureau may be able to assist with this.

If your child is being bullied - Flowchart

Going further

More detailed information can be found in our How-to Guide. Please note that a fee is charged for this service.

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This page provides information on the duties of schools and local authorities to prevent and tackle bullying in schools and action that can be taken by a parent or child to address bullying.

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Bullying at school

This section includes information relating to:

At the end of this section are listed some agencies who can give support, advice and information and some useful websites about bullying and how to deal with it.

If you are being bullied

If you are being bullied at school it is important to get as much support and help as you can. Please don't try and deal with this on your own - tell your parents, teachers, friends and keep telling until something is done to stop the bullying happening. You have the right to go to school and to feel safe and protected and your school has a duty to keep you safe and to ensure that any bullying is dealt with immediately.

Try not to react to the bully. You may be frightened, angry, upset but try to ignore the bully, walk past, smile. Bullies will keep bullying as long as they get a reaction. If they don't get a reaction they will often give up as the fun has gone out of it for them.

If you tell the bully to go away do so in a loud and firm voice and then walk away.

Try and stay with a group of people as bullies are less likely to pick on you if you are with others.

You may find it helps to increase your confidence and assertiveness by joining self defence classes.

Keep a diary of any occasions that you are bullied, what happened, dates, times etc. and names of any witnesses to the bullying.

Tell your teacher what is happening and tell your parents.

If the bullying continues keep telling your teacher and parents what is happening. If the school does not ensure the bullying stops your parents should be able to help you by talking to your teacher and if necessary the Head Teacher.

If you find you are unhappy at school and feel lonely think about how you could make friends outside school, maybe by joining some clubs, societies e.g. scouts, guides, police cadets, St.John's Ambulance, Red Cross etc. (you will find details of these organisations on the pages marked Loneliness).This will be a way of making new friends and enjoying yourself out of school.

Remember that bullies are the ones with the problems - there is nothing wrong with you - bullies can pick on anyone for any reason. It may be you one day and someone else another day.

Bullies often bully people through jealousy. Victims of bullying are often popular and good at their work so try not to allow the bullies to dent your confidence.

If you are being bullied by a teacher (continually picked on, made fun off, etc.), you must tell another teacher what is happening and if it doesn't stop tell your parents.

Remember - nobody has the right to bully you. You have the right to go to school and feel safe. Your school has a duty to ensure that bullying is not allowed to continue.

If you keep quiet the bullying won't stop. Tell someone and keep telling someone until it stops. (check out Helplines and Websites at end of bullying pages)
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If you are bullying others

Have a think about why you are bullying others. Are you unhappy at home, do you find you can't control your anger, do you like controlling other people? There are helplines and counselling services you can talk to who will help you to deal with any problems you may have and help you to stop bullying others.

Do you really want people to be frightened of you? Don't you want people to like you because you are a nice person and do things because they like you rather than doing what you want because they are scared stiff of you.

How would you feel if someone was bullying you? How would you feel if you imagine yourself one day as a parent and your little boy/girl said they were being bullied?

Bullying is a very cowardly thing to do - it is not clever and although it may make you look big to your friends because they may be laughing and joking about it - they are also doing that out of fear. Do you really want to be known for someone who does cowardly things and picks on other people?

If you are bullying someone you really need to stop it NOW . What you are doing is nasty and unkind. You may not even realise how much you are upsetting the person or persons you are picking on.

SOME CHILDREN WHO ARE BULLIED ARE SO DISTRESSED AND UNHAPPY THAT THEY ACTUALLY COMMIT SUICIDE - TAKE THEIR OWN LIVES.

What may seem harmless and a bit of fun to you is taken very seriously by the person or persons you are bullying. If you do not find help for yourself and stop what you are doing it is likely that you will grow into adulthood bullying others and intimidating others. You should want to be liked for you, for the person you are, not through fear and intimidation of other people.
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Barry's story

If you are being bullied it can be extremely distressing and can have an enormous impact on your life. Barry from Ilford was bullied relentlessly when he was at school. Here he tells his story in the hope that it might help others who are being bullied to speak out.

About myself

'I am writing as one who suffered constantly at the hands of school bullies from the age of 8 until 16. The type of bullying I endured caused me to suffer panic attacks which in turn led to a fear of feeling sick and travelling far from home. I was bullied while having these panic attacks and was unable to tell anyone, even my parents, for fear of the bullies finding out and then the bullying and the panic attacks would get worse.

The bullying and the resulting phobia has deprived me of a social life for a very long time. I've longed so much to have friends, go on holiday, realise ambitions close to my heart and experience sharing with others all the joys life has to offer. The bullying I suffered has forced me to live the lifestyle of a loner. Not telling anyone when I was being bullied has therefore not only made my school life a total misery from ages 8 to 16 it has affected me ever since, depriving me of achieving so much and frustrating everything I live for. Add to this, of course, that the most important thing a victim of bullying could do and should do is to tell a reliable person in confidence, somebody who could have a positive effect on the situation. If only I had the courage to tell things would be so different now'.

My experiences of bullying

'I was bullied a lot when I was at school. It started when I was 5 years old but really got bad when I moved house with my parents when I was 8. When I started my new school two boys picked on me and stopped me playing with friends by trapping me in a small gap behind a hut in the playground. Every time I wanted to get out they kept barring my way and this happened nearly every playtime. It was horrible being trapped. To stop the bullies catching me I had to try and make my way to be with my friends very quickly as soon as the bell went for playtime but the bullies nearly always caught me and cornered me behind the hut. This carried on for a very long time and I became very frightened of being trapped in small spaces like behind the hut and afraid of travelling in a car even with my parents. I also became afraid of feeling sick and being sick and going far from home - all as a result of being bullied. I've missed out on such a lot of fun, friends, parties, holidays, all the things that mean so much. Throughout the whole time I didn't tell anybody about the bullying or about my fears in case the bullies found out and the bullying got worse. I now wish I would have told my family or teacher or a friend - the bullying would have stopped and I would have got rid of all that unhappiness It is not just the bullying that's bad but also the effect it can have on your life during the time you are bullied and also after the bullying stops. By keeping it to yourself you are letting the bully think it is alright to carry on bullying you and you could also miss out on so many happy times.

So, remember this saying:
'Tell teacher, family or friend And make the bullying end.'
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Bullying at school - children's charter
(devised by Barry from Ilford)
Each child should realise each has feelings just the same as the other.

Each child should realise the importance of caring, respecting others' happiness, possessions, peace of mind, welfare and appreciating how these things are precious.

Each child should be looked upon by others as one who is loved and cared for by someone else - each is either a son or a daughter and perhaps a brother or sister, boyfriend or girlfriend - a loved one very special and extremely precious.

Each child should appreciate that each is just as important as the other.

Each child has the right to happiness and peace of mind while at school and travelling to and from school.

Bullies should imagine how their behaviour could evolve in later life: what kind of adult/parent would they develop into: what would their children be like: how can they change, improve; how do they see the behaviour of others in the world around them - for example in their family, friends, on television - how would they imagine these people to be when they were at school.

Bullies are those who do unkind things - there must be something negative in their lives which makes them behave this way; bullies should consider 'What has made me what I am?' - family backgrounds, friends, unpleasant experiences, other influences etc.

Bullying is a destructive energy - bullies should have these negative energies channelled into something more constructive.

Each child should be encouraged to identify and report any safety hazard which could affect not only themselves but also others. Staff should also be encouraged to do the same.

Parents have the right to happiness and peace of mind concerning their children while their children are at school and travelling to and from school.
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Information for parents

If your child is being bullied he/she may be reluctant to tell you. Watch out for any signs of change of behaviour in your child - becoming withdrawn, depressed, not wanting to go to school, bed wetting, outburst of anger, feeling ill etc. If you feel your child is being bullied then talk to them about school, are they making friends, is anything upsetting them, are they being bullied.

If your child tells you they are being bullied please take it seriously - some parents don't and this can lead to your child feeling even more isolated and alone.

Encourage your child to keep a diary of all incidents.

Talk to your child about how to be assertive and the difference between assertiveness and aggression.

Encourage your child to tell their teacher.

Encourage your child to form friendships out of school.

Give your child time and space to talk to you about how the bullying is making his/her feel.

Give your child a lot of reassurance and love that there is nothing wrong with them - the bullies will pick on anyone for any reason.

Check whether the bullying has stopped and if it hasn't suggest to your child that you speak to the teacher and ask the school for a copy of their Anti Bullying Policy.

If the bullying still doesn't stop make an appointment to see the Head Teacher.

All schools should take bullying seriously but unfortunately many schools deny the very existence of bullying in their school. Be persistent if the bullying does not stop ask for the name and address of the Chairman of the School Governors. The school should give you this information but if they don't or are difficult about it then ask the Education Authority.

If the bullying continues you can then contact the Director of Education at the Education Authority.

If your child is too distressed to go to school ask your GP for a sick note and you may need to keep your child away from school for the duration of the sick note during which time hopefully the situation will have been sorted out. If it isn't you may need to consider either changing schools or having your child educated at home.
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Agencies which offer support, information, advice

SupportLine: 01708 765200, email info@supportline.org.uk - Telephone Helpline providing confidential emotional support to children, young adults and adults on any issue. Also keep details of other agencies, support groups and counsellors throughout the UK. Particularly aimed at those who are isolated, vulnerable, at risk groups and victims of any form of abuse

Childline: 0800 1111, www.childline.org.uk - Free national helpline for children and young people in danger and distress. Also booklets on bullying

Kidscape Campaign for Children's Safety:
Parents Advice Line 020 7823 5430
Admin 020 7730 3300
www.kidscape.org.uk
Telephone helpline providing support for parents and produce free parents guides on issues relating to bullying. Also run one day courses for children who have been severely bullied.

Education Otherwise Association Ltd. 0845 478 6345, www.education-otherwise.net - Telephone information and support for families who wish to educate their children outside school

Advisory Centre for Education
www.ace-ed.org.uk
Helpline offering advice on special education needs, exclusions, admissions, bullying

Useful websites
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SupportLine. Website design by Amendit Design Services - info@amendit.co.uk

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This section includes information relating to: At the end of this section are listed some agencies who can give support, advice and information and some useful websites about bullying and how to deal with it. If you are being bullied at school it is important to get as much support and help as you can.

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Too many children in the UK are not getting the support they need to grow up safe and happy. We’re here to put this right.

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Cyberbullying is when someone uses technology (such as the internet or a mobile phone) to bully others.

Being a victim of cyberbullying can be very distressing for a young person as most of the time they don't know who is bullying them. Cyberbullying includes things such as sending nasty messages or emails, or setting up a hate group on a social networking site. The bullying has the potential to be happening 24/7 and the victim is often targeted even when they are in the comfort of their own home. Images and messages can be circulated very quickly and anonymously on the internet which can make it very hard to combat cyberbullying.

What can I do to help as an educational professional?

1. Understand the tools: be aware of the reporting mechanisms on different sites and services so you can support your pupils in making a report.

2. Discuss cyberbullying: be proactive in discussing cyberbullying with your pupils; how it occurs, why it occurs, and the consequences of such behaviour.

3. Know who to report to: ensure that you are aware of who to go to in your school or organisation if you have concerns about cyberbullying incidents. This may be a head of year/department, a member of the senior leadership team, or the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

What advice can I give to young people?

The internet is an amazing resource and can be used in a number of positive ways. However, content posted online can be easily misunderstood by others and taken out of context. It is important for young people to recognise the importance of 'thinking before you post' and the need to respect their friends' and peers' thoughts and feelings online. What's considered morally right and wrong offline must also be thought of in the same way online, and treating others with respect on the internet is a good way to ensure that online situations are less likely to escalate into cyberbullying situations.

1. Don't reply: most of the time the bully is looking for a reaction when they're teasing or calling someone nasty names. Remind young people not to reply, if they do they're giving the bully exactly what they want.

2. Save the evidence: encourage young people to save the evidence of any emails or messages they receive. This is so they have something to show when they do report the cyberbullying.

3. Tell someone: encourage young people to tell a trusted adult if they are being cyberbullied, and to tell them as soon as they can in order to minimise their own upset or worry.

Resources for approaching cyberbullying with primary and secondary age children:

How to prevent and respond to cyberbullying of staff and young people:

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Cyberbullying is when someone uses technology (such as the internet or a mobile phone) to bully others. Being a victim of cyberbullying can be very distressing for a young person as most of the time they don't know who is bullying them.

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Bullying at school can affect your child's self-esteem and education. Read our advice on what to do. You can also chat to us online for support

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The74Million is an education focused website

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https://www.gov.uk/bullying-at-school/the-law