What is Bullying?

Bullying can be both emotional and physical, often the behaviour is deliberately and persistently directed against a particular target group or individual child. 

Though these incidents alone can seem insignificant the repeated harassment and intimidation of a child can cause serious harm and distress. Often a victim of bullying will feel scared, frightened and upset, defenceless and extremely lonely and isolated. This sense of isolation can in some extreme cases lead to severe anxiey and even fatal self-harm.

Bullying needs to be taken very seriously and should be considered a safeguarding issue.

Listed below are some of the methods that bullies use to intimidate:

  • Verbal: Name-calling, sarcasm, persistent teasing.
  • Indirect: Excluding , tormenting, humiliation, spreading rumours.
  • Physical. Kicking, Hitting, pinching, biting, pushing and other forms of violence or threats and intimidation.
  • Technological/Cyber: Using technology like internet sites, mobile phones and video hosting sites to hurt, abuse frighten or intimidate a group or individual.
  • Racisim; Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures.
  • Sexual; Unwanted physical contact or abusive comments.
  • Homophobic; Hostile or offensive action against lesbians, gay males or bisexuals or those perceived to be lesbian, gay or bisexual.
  • Regarding a disability; Tormenting, hurting, humiliating or abusing a person with a special educational need, learning difficulty or disability.