BULLYING

Bullying

Bullying

Bullying

Bullying can take many forms. Children, young people and adults can instigate bullying and be bullied in schools. The nature of bullying is changing and evolving as technology develops. Bullying is harmful to all involved, not just to the person who is bullied, but to those who do the bullying and those who stand by. It can lead to self doubt, lack of confidence, low self esteem, depression, anxiety, self harm and sometimes even suicide. Bullying generally fits into one of two categories: emotional and physically harmful behaviour.

Methods of bullying can include the following: name calling; taunting; mocking; making offensive comments; kicking; hitting; pushing; taking belongings; text messaging; emailing; gossiping; excluding people from groups; and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours.

Definitions are different and individuals have different experiences. A definition compatible with the developing experiences and accounts of children and young people, and with much research in the area, is:

repetitive, wilful or persistent

harmful, carried out by an individual or a group

an imbalance of power, leaving the victim feeling defenceless

It is important to recognise a person's perception of whether they are bullied, especially when the other person says they did not mean to bully them and was 'only teasing' or 'just joking'.

Prevalence

Accurately estimating the extent of bullying is difficult. Different definitions of bullying lead to varying estimates. Under-reporting of incidents, because of unwillingness by children and young people 'to tell' and because schools do not always keep systematic and detailed records, also contributes to uncertainty about its prevalence.

Notwithstanding these difficulties, evidence from organisations such as ChildLine confirms that bullying is a significant problem and that any school that claims bullying is not a problem is avoiding the issue. In 2003, 20,000 children and young people called ChildLine about bullying, making it the most common problem their counsellors encountered in their work with children and young people. Recent research into the views of children and young people about bullying found that one fifth of primary school pupils and one quarter of pupils in Year 8 perceived bullying as a 'big problem' in their school (Oliver & Candappa, 2003). An NSPCC study of child maltreatment found that bullying, especially at school, is one of the most common forms of harmful aggression experienced by children and young people in the UK (Cawson et al., 2000).

The DfES anti bullying pack for schools, Don't Suffer in Silence (Department For Education And Skills, 2002) notes that any child can be bullied, but there is evidence to suggest that some children are more likely to be involved in bullying incidents and that the ways in which they learn to handle aggression and develop social skills may be a key contributory factor (Oliver & Candappa, 2003). Those who are disabled, victims of abuse or neglect, bereaved, growing up gay, from different ethnicities, or growing up in care, may be vulnerable and schools should be aware of the particular needs of these children and young people. Added to this, there are indications that children who are perceived to be ...