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Tameside Safeguarding Children Partnership

Bullying


My child is being bullied.

It can happen anywhere – at school, at home, online. It has usually happened several times and on purpose. Bullying can affect anyone and have devastating effects for children and young people in terms of self-confidence, self-worth, and school performance whilst hurting them physically and emotionally.

There is nothing more worrying than thinking your child could be the victim of bullying. We all know that children can be unkind and that what might start off as playful teasing could escalate into a more serious situation. It can be a difficult time for you and your child to deal with.

Bullying rarely takes place between a 'victim' and a 'bully' alone. It tends to be group behaviour. Some will be seen as assisting or enabling the bullying or by defending and supporting the  bully against their targeted victim. However it is happening, it can have a significant influence on the outcomes of behaviours among children and young people, intentionally or otherwise.

Bullying is not simply a 'falling out' it is:

  • Hurtful
  • Repetitive
  • Intentional


Bullying behaviour can be:

  • Physical – pushing, poking, kicking, hitting, biting, pinching etc.
  • Verbal - name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, threats, teasing, belittling.
  • Emotional – isolating others, tormenting, hiding books, threatening gestures, ridicule, humiliation, intimidating, excluding, making things up.
  • Sexual – unwanted physical contact, inappropriate touching, abusive comments, homophobic abuse, exposure to inappropriate films etc.
  • Online /cyber – posting on social media, sharing photos, sending nasty text messages, social exclusion.
  • Indirect - Can include the exploitation of individuals.

 

Cyberbullying

Bullying online is known as cyberbullying. Because children and young people spend a lot of time online, they may face risks such as cyberbullying or being exposed to inappropriate content.

See more information about online safety on the Online and E-safety - Tameside Safeguarding Children Partnership page and visit CEOP's Think You Know parents' pages

If you think your child, or a child you know, is being bullied it is important to take immediate action. Whilst it is a distressing and stressful time for everyone, before you approach your child, their school, or anyone else to talk about bullying, the following websites contain a lot of useful information about how to deal with the different types of bullying and some helpful steps on what to do and how to keep your child safe.

NSPCC - bullying and cyberbullying -There is a free helpline for adults concerned about a child: 0808 800 5000.

Bullying UK - part of the Family Lives Charity, produces guidance and factsheets on their website and runs online forums where you can chat to other families.

Bullying at school: The law - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Some forms of bullying are illegal and should be reported to the police.

Bullying | Parents Guide to Support | YoungMinds

Online bullying and the Law (anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk)

Anti-bullying Alliance: national organisation committed to stopping bullying of all forms