Children and Young People

Bullying

Being bullied can leave you feeling miserable and worthless. It can mean different things for different people, including

• being called names or teased
• being pinched, punched, pushed, or pulled
• being threatened or intimidated
• having your bag and other things thrown around
• having rumours spread about you
• being ignored and left out
• being forced to hand over money or possessions
• getting silent or abusive phone calls or offensive texts
• insulting messages about you on the internet or by IM

Bullies can also frighten you so much that you don't want to go to school and pretend to be ill to avoid them.

If you are being bullied, the most important thing you can do is to tell someone you trust.

More information

The web sites listed below give lots of information about bullying and what to do about it.

Digizen (www.digizen.org.uk) - practical advice and guidance on Cyberbullying

Childline (www.childline.org.uk) Lots of pages about bullying, including how to stop bullying, why bullies do it and helping a friend.

Bullying UK (www.bullying.co.uk) A very detailed site from the world's leading anti-bullying charity. As well as lots of general information pages, there are sections on cyberbullying, bullying in sport, racist and homophobic bullying, and help for bullies who want to change.

Kidscape (www.kidscape.org.uk) Kidscape is another UK charity committed to fighting bullying. Their site includes a quiz (What if . . .?) to help you think about what you would do if certain things were to happen.

Stop Cyberbullying (www.stopcyberbullying.org) A site that focuses on the issues of cyberbullying, including a quiz to find out if you are a cyberbully that helps you to understand what is and isn't OK.