A guide to bullying
Introduction: What is
bullying?
What do you think bullying means?
The NSPCC define bullying as:
‘An intentional behaviour that hurts someone else. It includes
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.’
However, just be mindful that bullying doesn’t need to be
repeated often, one off comments can still make a big impact.
What are the different
forms of bullying?
Physical bullying: hitting, slapping or pushing someone
Verbal bullying: name calling, gossiping or threatening
someone
Non-verbal abuse: hand signs or text messages
Emotional abuse: threatening, intimidating or humiliating
someone
Exclusion: ignoring or isolating someone
Undermining, constant criticism or spreading rumours
Controlling or manipulative behaviour
Making silent, hoax or abusive calls
Impact of bullying on
attendance
1 in 5 young people have experienced some sort of bullying in the
UK. Bullying can often be linked to school absence. Research
shows that the proportion of pupils who were absent from school
due to anxiety or mental health problems was higher amongst
pupils who had been bullied.
In a survey of 13,387 12-18 year olds, 18% of respondents said they
had missed school because they were being bullied within the past
12 months (Ditch the Label, 2020).
Have you ever wanted to miss a day at school because of
something someone said or done?
Can you think of any
impacts of bullying?
Here are some to consider:
Fear of judgment
Loss of confidence and self-esteem
Internalised negativity
Anxiety and depression
Isolation and withdrawal
Fear of retaliation
Impact on creativity and originality
Top tips to overcome
bullying
Talk to a trusted adult
If you’re dealing with bullying, tell an adult you trust—like a
parent or teacher. They can often step in and help without the
bully even knowing how they found out. It’s really important to
speak up, especially if things seem like they could get physical.
Things like threats, or physical attacks are serious, and if
they’re not reported, it could just encourage the bully to get
worse. Don’t let it slide—reach out for help.
Ignore the bully and walk away
Bullies like getting a reaction. If you walk away or ignore them,
you're telling them that you don't care.
Walk tall and hold your head high
Using this type of body language sends a message that you're
not vulnerable.
Practice confidence
Practice ways to respond to the bully verbally or through your
behaviour. Practice feeling good about yourself.
Don't get physical
You’re more likely to get hurt or end up in trouble. Instead, find
another way to deal with your anger. Try exercising, writing
down how you feel, or doing something creative. If you write
angry emails, posts, or notes, make sure you delete or tear
them up afterward.
Stand up for friends and others you see being bullied
Your actions help the victim feel supported and may stop the
bullying.
Find your (true) friends
If people are spreading rumours or gossip about you, talk to
your friends about it. They can support you and help you feel
safe.
Join your school's bullying or violence prevention programs
Another option is peer mediation, where you and the bully can
try to work things out with the help of a student mediator. If
your school doesn’t have a program like this, think about
starting one yourself!
Try to talk to the bully
Try letting them know that what they’re doing is serious and
hurtful. This can be helpful if you notice someone in your own
friend group starting to pick on or exclude someone else.
Talk about it
It can really help to talk to someone like a guidance counsellor,
teacher, or friend—anyone who can give you the support you
need.
pBullying
#Sto
Don’t be a bystander
What is a bystander?
A bystander is someone who does not get involved in a situation
where someone else needs help. Bystanders are those people who
watch an argument at the school gates, and the crowd that
gathers to watch a playground fight. Although they don’t
participate, they encourage the bully, who will feel driven on by
the audience.
Most of us have been a ‘bystander’ at some time. We justify it by
saying that it’s natural to be curious about unusual events; that
there may be good reasons for not getting involved in other
people’s business, such as fear of getting hurt ourselves, and that
we’re not doing any harm.
‘Doing nothing’ has a real impact on events and may cause harm.
To tackle bullying we must understand the responsibilities of peer
and adult bystanders who want to seek solutions to bullying and
take action where it is needed.
How can bystanders help when tackling bullying behaviour?
We know that bystanders play a significant role in bullying.
Proactive and preventative interventions implemented at
individual, class, school and community level have the potential to
reduce bullying, alongside reactive strategies to deal with bullying
incidents when they occur.
Adults must also recognise their own bystanding behaviours and
model positive actions by looking at their own systems, structures
and policies and do some audits and research into how they may
be framing, encouraging and justifying bullying and harassment
among pupils.
Follow these steps if you
see someone being bullied...
Take Action: If you
witness bullying, it’s
crucial to take action.
Speak Up Safely: If you
Don’t just walk away or
feel safe, you can ask
ignore it.
the bullies to stop.
However, if
Talk to Someone: Reach confrontation seems
out to a teacher, parent, risky, it's best to seek
or friend for support. If help.
you’re hesitant, consider
leaving an anonymous
note for a teacher to Addressing
inform them of the Cyberbullying:
situation. Remember,
cyberbullying can be as
damaging as in-person
Online Behaviour
bullying. If you know it's
Matters: Encourage
happening, confide in
others to treat people
someone you trust.
online as they would in
person; respectful
behaviour should be
consistent across both
environments.
The Respect Cycle
How can you choose respect?
Active listening: Get other people’s perspective without
interrupting
Stay calm and take a break: If you feel disrespected and this
overwhelms you, take a break and do some breathing before
responding
Use I statements: ‘I feel, I think’ to express how you feel to
someone
Agree to Disagree: Being respectful of other people’s views
even if you think they’re wrong
Use Respective Language: Think about your tone of voice and
how you address others
Follow us
Follow us on social media to get access to more resources, self-
help tips and support service information.
@mymhst
Remember to reach out to your support system if you’ve been
affected by anything you’ve experienced online.
Support services
Local Support National Support
Hull & East Yorkshire Childline
Mind 0800 1111
01482 240200 childline.org.uk
heymind.org.uk
Young Minds
Hull Thrive
youngminds.org.uk
howareyoufeeling.org.uk
Anna Freud
Young Healthy Minds
annafreud.org
eastridinghealthandwellbeing.co.uk
Kooth
Podcast
on Spotify
