Tickets cost £2.50 each with £1.20 supporting the work of BullyingUK purchase your tickets online now.

Google Buzz is a real time social network that is being automatically added to ALL Google Mail accounts over the next few days.

Bullying UK is concerned that younger users may not be aware of the privacy implications of Google Buzz.

Buzz is a lot like Facebook or Twitter, people can become your friend and you can become theirs, you have a Google Profile that many people would have created years ago but may have forgotten about, leaving the information "public". This includes photographs, Twitter, Facebook and even news stories you have shared..... all open to the world.

When Buzz is added onto your Gmail account all that "Profile" information is brought into Buzz and shared with anyone you have made a friends connection with. You may have to reconfirm your Twitter and Flickr address but your Google Reader and...]]> John Carnell Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:28:33 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/anti-bullying-posters/anti-bullying-poster-by-brogan.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/anti-bullying-posters/anti-bullying-poster-by-brogan.html

Every year at Bullying UK we support more than 500,000 people desperate for advice to help them cope with bullying and get it stopped.

Through our innovative use of technology (Like this app) we help so many people, can you help us with a small monthly donation?

Current offers from our corporate supporters, Bookmark this page and return when ever you want to make a purchase:

• FREE UK Delivery!
• Donation: up to 4%

• FREE delivery at Zavvi!
• Donation: 2%-10%

• Kiddicare.com has FROZEN VAT until further notice!
  Also there is FREE DELIVERY on all orders over £29.99.
• Donation: 4 %

.

• Donation: 7%

• 2 for £30 on selected items.
• Donation: 7%

• SALE!SAVE up to 40%
• Donation: 6%

• Chart CDs only £6.99 plus free delivery.
• Donation: 10%

• Home Insurance from Sheilas' Wheels.
• Donation: £20/£45

• £25 for us when you sign up to O2 broadband!
• Donation: £25/ £60

Want the chance of winning something special while supporting Bullying UK? Now you can visit our very own online raffle page ! We get 80% of the profit from every ticket adults buy.

You could win a PS3 or an Ipod Touch or even TWO Fortnum & Mason Hampers!

Here's how you win: You number your tickets...think hard...what is the lowest number you think no-one else will think of? If at the end of the raffle one of your tickets is the lowest unique number the prize is yours! To make it easier you find out instantly if your number is unique!

We regularly post details of new raffles on our Facebook and Twitter pages so make sure you're following us!

Remember 80% of the profit from every ticket you buy will come to us to help us provide support to bullied children and their families. It will also help us with our work...]]> Liz Carnell Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/twitter-safety-keeping-young-people-safe-on-twitter.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/twitter-safety-keeping-young-people-safe-on-twitter.html

Twitter is popular with everyone but due to the very open nature of Twitter younger users should take extra caution. Remember everything you post to Twitter with an open profile can be seen by anyone in the world and is very easy to search for.

We suggest you put your Twitter profile into PRIVATE mode as this will stop the world seeing your updates.

Login at Twitter.com and go to SETTINGS. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Protect my tweets". Click save.

If you would like someone to see your update you will have to FOLLOW each other, if another Twitter user follows you they can't see your updates until you follow back. This gives you control over who gets to see what you are up to.

Pictures and other media

As with any internet service be careful what you post on Twitter, it's really easy to post pictures or...]]> Liz Carnell Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:50:15 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/staying-safe-on-twitter-tips-to-tweet-safely.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/staying-safe-on-twitter-tips-to-tweet-safely.html

Twitter is the hottest social network around, used by many celebrities to keep in touch with fans and by citizens all over the world to break news stories or just say what they are up to at any given moment.

While Twitter has been great at helping people communicate quickly and in a very open manner, it's not without its problems. Always follow the usual rules of cyber safety and in addition here are some Twitter specific safety tips.

Twitter Safety Tips

• Never give out your real address, or any personal details - Remember on Twitter everything you say can be open to the world;
• Never give out your password - Also be extra careful when you sign into Twitter through other websites. (Some are scams trying to find out your log-in details!);
• Think before you Tweet! -  Anyone can see what you say unless you make your profile private;
• Don't Follow...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:08:42 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/why-me.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/why-me.html WHY ME?

  Why me, what did I do wrong?
  Why do you treat me like this?
  Why do I deserve to be hit and called names?
  Do you think it’s fun?
  I cry every night,
  I say every night, Why me, what did I do wrong?
  
  You make me feel so sad,
  I wish I wasn’t here,
  I beg my Mam and plead with her “please don’t make me go”
  But then she says ignore them all,
  So I listen to her words.
  I try and block out the sound and the pain too
  But it’s just so hard, so very hard to do.
  I can’t tell the teacher, because I won’t feel safe.
  Why do you treat me like this and make me feel this way?

  From Joanne, 13, Co Durham

  ]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:24:44 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/i-am-poem-for-anti-bullying-week.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/i-am-poem-for-anti-bullying-week.html
  You may remember it from an anti-bullying film with lots of celebrities like Sharon Osborne and Rio Ferdinand narrating the words. Before it was used to promote Anti-Bullying Week this wonderful and moving poem was right here on bullying.co.uk.
  
  Over the years Laura's amazing words have become part of campaigns around the world.
  
  

  So here is Laura's original poem. It is called simply I AM

  
  I am the person you bullied in school
  I am the one who didn't know how to be cool
  I am the person you alienated
  I am the person you ridiculed and hated
  
  I am the person who sat on their own
  I am the person who walked home alone
  I am the person you scared every day
  I...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:56:41 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/our-very-own-england.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/our-very-own-england.html Our Very Own England was funded through My Mediabox, which offers individual young people funding for a one-off media project, along with specialist production training.
  
  A young interracial couple must face prejudice of the society all around them whilst trying to discover their own sense of identity in the turmoil of exams and other teenage pressures.

   

  ]]> Liz Carnell Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:58:17 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/reality-knocks.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/reality-knocks.html Pier Pressure was a unique media project exploring teenage life in Bournemouth using drama to create three short films written and made by young people aged under 19.
  
  Ashwina, an Indian girl in a new town, is smitten when she meets her new boyfriend Jamie. Everything seems wonderful until she discovers Jamie's secret double-life within a group of racist boys.

   

  ]]> Liz Carnell Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:57:25 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/some-days-are-bad.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/some-days-are-bad.html Pier Pressure was a unique media project exploring teenage life in Bournemouth using drama to create three short films written and made by young people aged under 19.
  
  Some days are bad and recently Tom has been having quite a few bad days and since meeting the prefect like chic 'Salmon gang' his week is getting worse. Will Tom discover the truth behind his new found friends? And are things always as they seem?

   

  ]]> BullyingUK Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:54:51 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/save-on-university-books-and-support-bullying-uk-through-waterstones.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/save-on-university-books-and-support-bullying-uk-through-waterstones.html

  Huge savings on university books

  Freshers week is in full swing for a lot of students but university isn’t all fun and games.  Make sure you or your kids are well equipped with academic books, textbooks and specialist books from Waterstones.com .
  
  Don’t forget Bullying UK will receive a donation when you buy books via our webshop .

  Today’s most popular deal

  Get 30% off selected Nelson Thornes Academic and Vocational books .

  In its fourth edition, this impressive text has been updated with a PGCE focus.

  Teaching Today: A Practical Guide
  Price: £17.49

   

  

  Take the student price check to...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:46:59 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/back-to-school-with-ethical-superstone-supporting-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/back-to-school-with-ethical-superstone-supporting-bullying-uk.html

  Ethical products for university students

  Support Bullying UK when you buy university essentials at Ethical Superstore.

  At Ethical Superstore you’ll find a wide range of environmentally friendly university supplies, including recycled paper for copiers and printers , notebooks , pens and pencils made from recycled plastic, and the famous staple-less eco stapler .

  Bullying UK will receive 8% of what you spend at Ethical Superstore.

  Printer Cartridges »	Desk Accessories »	Filing & Archive »
  Notebooks »	Pens, Pencils & Rulers »	Accessories »

  

  NEWS JUST...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:44:21 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/my-name-tags-support-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/my-name-tags-support-bullying-uk.html

  

  

  My Nametags is now supporting Bullying UK

  My Nametags offer a combination of iron-on and sticker nametags to ensure that your child's belongings are never lost again.

  My Nametags offer a set of 75 iron-on nametags and 75 sticky labels for £9.95 (including postage). The labels come with a design (such as a small football, ladybird, teddy, church etc.) and are washing machine and dishwasher safe. They are guaranteed not to fall off in the wash.

  Design your own tags now at My Nametags .

  Unbeatable offer!

  Get 75 iron-on nametags and 75 sticker name tags for only £9.95 with free...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:39:24 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/sexting-warning.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/sexting-warning.html Sexting is not yet a big problem in the UK - so let's keep it that way.
  
  Never send pictures of yourself taken on your mobile phone - that you wouldn't want your mum or dad to see - to anyone, even if you're close to the person who asks you, like a boyfriend or girlfriend.

  Always keep private things private

  Remember there is a risk that if you fall out with friends they may upload things you've told them, or pictures you've sent them to the internet and once that happens anyone can see them.

  Unfortunately some adults who use the internet try to make friends with young people. They may pretend to be near your age but they could be much older. They might try to persuade you that if you were really their friend you would do as they ask and pose in revealing clothes. This is called...]]> Liz Carnell Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:22:45 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/support-us/help-us-by-supporting-our-work.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/support-us/help-us-by-supporting-our-work.html Every year at Bullying UK we support over 300,000 young people as you cope with bullying but we can only do this with your help.
  
  Bullying UK is a low cost charity, we provide our entire service for just £50,000 a year and all raised by you, the general public.
  
  If you would like to help us you can get involved in a number of different fundraising activities, some are easy some are more challenging. It's up to you how you would like to support us.
  
  Recycle - Take a look through your old CD's / DVD's and video games.. If there are any you haven't used in a while consider sending them to Bullying UK and we can turn them into a donation to support our work. Get your mates or entire school involved. If you have more than 10 things to donate...]]> Liz Carnell Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:21:41 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/baq-support-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/baq-support-bullying-uk.html

  With over 35,000 products B&Q probably have everything you need including the kitchen sink, so it's even better news that they donate 3% of what you pay to Bullying UK if you use this special link .

  Each time you want to make a purchase from B&Q come back to this page and click the link again and we will receive 3% easy and it won't cost you anything extra.

  Shop at B&Q and support Bullying UK

   

   

  ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:25:20 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/national-express-support-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/national-express-support-bullying-uk.html

  We all need a break every so often so what better way to get your trip off to a great start than by going with National Express who will donate 3% of your ticket fee to Bullying UK's so we can continue supporting over 500,000 Young People and their families a year.

  Visit the National Express website using this link

  When ever you want to buy tickets from National Express come back to this page to ensure Bullying UK receives a 3% donation.

   

   

  ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:05:57 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/woolworths-support-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/woolworths-support-bullying-uk.html

  The UK's best known retailer is back  as Woolworths Online and are offering to donate 5% of your final basket price to support Bullying UK. You need to use our special Woolworth Online Link for it to count.

  It won't cost you a penny more Woolworths are simply donating 5% of what you pay as a donation to support our vital work support 500,000 people a year.

  Come back each time you want to shop with Woolworths and they will keep on giving.

  Shop at Woolworths Online and support Bullying UK click this Link

   

   

  ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:36:55 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/playcom-support-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/playcom-support-bullying-uk.html

  Play.com the website for Video Games, CD's and Dvd's are offering to donate upto 4% from every purchase you make using our Bullying UK Play.com Link , each thing you buy online using this special link will support our life saving work with over 500,000 people a year.

  It's really easy, when you want to shop at Play.com come back to this page and click the link below. This will ensure they donate upto 4% of your final basket amount (less delivery) to Bullying UK you don't need to do anything else and it won't cost you anything more.

  Visit Play.com and Support Bullying UK Click here Each Time you shop.

   

   

  ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:20:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/marks-and-spencer-support-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/marks-and-spencer-support-bullying-uk.html

  Marks and Spencer are offering to donate 3% from every purchase you make using our Bullying UK Marks and Spencer Link , every purchase you make online using this special link will support our vital work with over 500,000 people a year.

  It's really easy, when you want to shop at Marks and Spencer come back to this page and click the link below. This will ensure they donate 3% of your purchase to Bullying UK you don't need to do anything else and it won't cost you a penny more on top of your order.

  Visit Marks and Spencer and Support Bullying UK Click here Each Time you shop.

   

   

  ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:12:22 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/amazon-support-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/shop-online/amazon-support-bullying-uk.html
  Amazon will donate 5% from every purchase you make using our Bullying UK Amazon Link , every purchase you make from Amazon using our special link will support our vital work with over 500,000 people a year.

  It's really easy, when you want to shop at Amazon come back to this page before you shop and click the link below. This will ensure Amazon donate 5% of the purchase price to Bullying UK you don't need to do anything else and it won't cost you anything extra.

  Visit Amazon and Support Bullying UK Click Here Each Time You Shop

   

   

  ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:04:53 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/the-only-release-by-mediabox.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/the-only-release-by-mediabox.html This latest video sent to us by MediaBox looks at the issue of cyber bullying and self harm, if you need help or advice with any of the issues raised in this film please contact us.

  A short drama about a confused teenager turns to self harming due to bullying. It explores issues of cyber bullying and self harm, an issue that affects a wide range of people from all social backgrounds. - MediaBox

  ]]> BullyingUK Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:13:42 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/lukes-story-by-mediabox.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/lukes-story-by-mediabox.html Mediabox have sent us a message (Tweet) via Twitter to let us know about Luke's story a video that looks at the issues of bullying and fostering as part of the Fostering Reality project.

  "Luke’s Story focuses on the issue of bullying and how domestic violence affects young people. Luke’s problems double when the place he feels safest, school, becomes as difficult as his home life" - from the Mediabox webpage

  ]]> BullyingUK Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:54:49 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/adults/general/workplace-bullying-books.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/adults/general/workplace-bullying-books.html We have partnered with Amazon to offer you a range of books related to Work Place and Adult Bullying, Bullying UK receives a donation from every book you buy, which helps to fund our vital work supporting Young People and their Families.

  You can visit our Work Place bullying book shop here

  ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:56:08 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/poster-creator-instructions-for-schools.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/poster-creator-instructions-for-schools.html Anti-bullying poster creator, Documentation for Education.
  
  Click, Create, Print & Share is one of Bullying UK’s most popular services, allowing young people to create their own Anti-bullying posters and share them through a wide range of options.

  To date, over 24,000 posters have been created, saving schools more than £84,000 against the cost of purchasing posters from school suppliers. We hope you will find this fun and interactive learning experience useful to your students.

  Version 3 of Click, Create, Print & Share introduces the ability to share posters across a wide range of over 80 social sites and services from Facebook to Wordpress. Also included is a new "teachers’ mode" that - for a small donation - allows editable speech bubbles for more customisation of posters under a teacher’s supervision.
  
  Key...]]> John Carnell Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:51:54 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/fundraise/ebay-for-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/fundraise/ebay-for-bullying-uk.html

  We all have lots of stuff in cupboards and under the bed we don't use any more. So why not help the targets of bullying by putting your old stuff on eBay and donating up to 100% of the sale price to Bullying UK.

  We can support them if you can support us!

  It's easy to get started. Just list your item on eBay as normal but when you come down to the section about donating to charity do a search for Bullying UK and select a percentage from 10% to 100%. When the item sells eBay will deduct that amount and you will receive the rest of the sale price as normal. eBay will then pass your donation to Bullying UK so we can save lives and stop bullying.

  How to search for us
  

  

   

  Every item you list with a donation to support our work...]]> BullyingUK Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:24:39 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/mobile-phone-bullying-industry-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/mobile-phone-bullying-industry-advice.html Chris Conwell, founder of Mobiles.co.uk , shares his views on how young people can keep themselves safe and combat the problem when it happens - buk

  Bullying, of course, is nothing new. However, the fact that many children and young people now own a mobile phone has given rise to a new form of bullying; one which can take place 24/7 and even intrude into your home or personal space, where you would otherwise be safe from harassment.

  Roughly one in seven or 14% of young people have been threatened or harassed by mobile phone - either by someone they know or anonymously. The type of bullying can be anything from name calling or text messages threatening violence, through to images or video clips intended to frighten or intimidate. You may have seen reports on the TV, in a newspaper, or on the Internet, of so-called "happy slapping attacks", where acts...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/dangerous-websites-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/dangerous-websites-advice.html Anyone can set up a professional-looking website. All it takes is a simple software package and a couple of hours.

  Just because these sites don't contain unsuitable content doesn't mean they are safe. There are no laws to protect young people who go to these websites looking for help.

  The people who run these websites are not usually checked by the Criminal Records Bureau as they would have to be if they were working with young people in real life, and they're not registered charities. They may also be based abroad rather than in the UK.

  Bullying UK has come across many websites which caused us concern. Some pose such risks to the young people using them that they have been reported to the police and social services.

  Websites which were risky included:

  • A site offering help to teenagers self harming run by a woman who also posted in...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/safety-tips-for-bebo-facebook-myspace-and-youtube.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/safety-tips-for-bebo-facebook-myspace-and-youtube.html Websites like Facebook, Bebo, YouTube, MySpace, instant messaging on MSN and gaming forums can be great fun!

    What do you do when things go wrong? Cyber bullying is rife on the internet and most young people will experience it at some time.

    Bullying UK gets panic-stricken emails from young people and parents who are upset and angry about abusive and false postings made on these websites.

    But there is lots you can do to protect yourself in the first place and to get abusive material removed quickly when you see it. Our new sections on Facebook, Bebo, MySpace and YouTube tell you exactly what to do.

    Problems include:

    • Stolen identity
    • Threats
    • Blackmail
    • Rumours and gossip
    • Abusive Comments
    • Nasty pictures

    Warning!

    If you EVER come across anything on the internet, whether it's on a social networking website or anywhere else, where people are making suggestions to you that make you feel uncomfortable or upset, please tell...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/happy-slapping-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/happy-slapping-advice.html Happy slapping is the wrong description for an assault in which the attack is filmed. There's nothing happy about it, it's a bit like calling someone who steals a car and kills someone a 'joyrider'.

    Bullying UK started to get complaints about happy slapping in November 2004. The first incidents took place in the London area, often on buses and trains, and quickly spread to the school playground and street.

    What is happy slapping?

    The assault usually involves a stranger being hit over the head while other members of the gang take photographs/video on their camera phones. The pictures are then circulated by mobile phone or put on the internet. In recent months happy slapping has become an unpleasant and dangerous craze. There have been a number of high profile cases in which attackers have been jailed for killing people in this way.

    Where happy slapping attacks have...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/internet-abuse-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/internet-abuse-advice.html It's very upsetting to get abusive emails, instant messages and to have nasty websites set up to invite people to post offensive remarks about you.

    There are ways that people who send emails can be tracked by internet service providers and the police. All emails carry information which shows the path the email has taken to get to your computer.

    Internet service providers have contact email addresses for complaints about email and this will normally be abuse@hotmail.com , abuse@btinternet.com or whichever system the sender is using. Don't reply to the email or delete it, get your parents to forward the whole thing to the sender's ISP.

    
    

    What to do if someone sets up a nasty web page about youIf you are a pupil named on an abusive message board or website then let us know and we will contact the website host to try to get it...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/cyber-safety-tips-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/cyber-safety-tips-advice.html When you're feeling lonely because the bullies have taken your friends away, you might think of looking in an internet chatroom to find some new ones.

    The internet is great fun but it does have dangers and Bullying UK wants you to be safe.

    When you join a chatroom you'll find people are very friendly but how do you know that John aged 14 who wants to be your new best friend really is a teenager and not Frank aged 57?

    
    

    People can pretend to be your age You don't know - nobody does - and unfortunately there have been cases where adults have pretended to be teenagers and lured young people into meeting them in dangerous situations. Some of these cases have ended up in court in the UK.

    Bullying UK has had experience of young people using the internet who have been persuaded into dangerous...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/youtube-bullying-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/youtube-bullying-advice.html We all think it's great to film video on our mobile phones or camcorders but put safety at the top of the list of screen credits!

    Don't get yourself into a situation which might embarass you and don't take pictures of other people which might embarass them and get you into trouble.

    Like other social networking websites YouTube is not for people under the age of 13.

     

    Warning!

    If you EVER come across anything on the internet, whether it's on a social networking website or anywhere else, where people are making suggestions to you that make you feel uncomfortable or upset, please tell your parents or another adult.

    
    

    CEOP (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) investigates cases of sex abuse and grooming on the internet. Grooming is where people make friends with you and try to involve you in inappropriate activities. In the UK this behaviour...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/internet-scams-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/internet-scams-advice.html There are parts of the world where internet cafes are busy churning out scam emails promising untold riches to the gullible person on the receiving end of an irresistible offer.

    As we all know, people are not who they seem on the internet, so keep your personal data secret and don't reply because then they know your email address is active and you're likely to be targeted by more fraudsters.
    

    The 419 email Originating largely from Nigeria, The Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe and Malaysia,  they beg the recipient for help to transfer millions of dollars into a foreign bank account, on the promise of a large share of a non-existent fortune which has been languishing in a foreign bank account for years.

    They're called 419 scams by the international community as the fraud is mentioned in section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code.

    Bullying UK gets...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/myspace-bullying-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/myspace-bullying-advice.html You are supposed to be aged 13+ to have a MySpace account. MySpace says it takes extra precautions to protect younger users.

    My Space has helpful videos which are a good place to start. Unfortunately nothing else in their safety section was working at the time we last looked at it. We reported this to MySpace and we'll provide a link to it when they get back to us to tell us it's working. If you EVER come across anything on the internet, whether it's on a social networking website or anywhere else, where people are making suggestions to you that make you feel uncomfortable or upset, please tell your parents or another adult. CEOP (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) investigates cases of sex abuse and grooming on the internet. Grooming is where people make friends with you and try to involve...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/facebook-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/facebook-bullying.html There are lots of safety and privacy controls on Facebook so always use them.

    Like all social networking websites, Facebook is only as good as the people using it so you might come across things which are upsetting, illegal or offensive in other ways.

    If you're under 13 then Facebook's rules say you can't use the site and if you're older, Facebook warns parents they should think about supervision. After all, if you join up then you're inviting total strangers into your home!If you EVER come across anything on the internet, whether it's on a social networking website or anywhere else, where people are making suggestions to you that make you feel uncomfortable or upset, please tell your parents or another adult.CEOP (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) investigates cases of sex abuse and grooming on the internet. Grooming is where people make friends with you and try to involve...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/mobile-phone-bullying-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/mobile-phone-bullying-advice.html Bullying UK receives numerous complaints about bullying with mobile phones which has led to the suicide of a teenage girl from Liverpool and which causes misery to those on the receiving end.

    We've also come across instances where abusive mobile phone text messages have been sent through websites using the names and phone numbers of people who had nothing to do with the message but who were blamed for it.

    Problems include

    • Silent calls
    • Insulting and threatening texts
    • Abusive verbal messages
    • Stolen identity

    Cyberstalking is frightening and illegal and the people who do it are not as anonymous as they think.

    Be careful when giving out your telephone number. Mobile phones are relatively inexpensive and if you start getting abusive calls or text messages then it might be better to get another SIM card so that the bullies can't contact you.

    Keep a note of the times and dates...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/bebo-bullying-advice.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/bebo-bullying-advice.html Bebo is a fun place to hang out but there are ways to make sure you don't run into trouble.

    You're supposed to be aged over 13 to have a Bebo account and like other social networking websites you are not supposed to upload anything which is abusive towards anyone else and you mustn't harass them through the website. If you EVER come across anything on the internet, whether it's on a social networking website or anywhere else, where people are making suggestions to you that make you feel uncomfortable or upset, please tell your parents or another adult.CEOP (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) investigates cases of sex abuse and grooming on the internet. Grooming is where people make friends with you and try to involve you in inappropriate activities. In the UK this behaviour is a criminal offence....]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/outside-school/bullying-outside-school.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/outside-school/bullying-outside-school.html Lots of people tell Bullying UK that they get bullied out of school, often by people they know from school but sometimes by people who live nearby.

    If the people bullying you are at school with you then your parents need to talk to your class teacher or head of year about what's happening in case trouble spills over at school.

    Although schools can take action over bullying on the journey to and from school they will be less keen to do anything about bullying that happens at the weekend or in the holidays.

    Stay safe in the street

    If you feel worried about running into trouble at home see if you can get friends to come to your home so that you can go out together. Take a different route to the shops and if it's dark stick to well lit streets. You could also get...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/outside-school/school-bus-bullies.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/outside-school/school-bus-bullies.html Bullies can make your life a misery on the journey to and from school but there are things you and your parents/carers can do about it.

    On the school bus, try to sit near the driver, or if it's an ordinary bus, by other adults. If you have to walk part of the way, and you're afraid of being ambushed, then vary your route, try to leave home and school a bit later or a bit earlier, or see if you can walk with other people who live near you, even if they're older or younger.
    

    Many streets, shops and businesses now have CCTV so if you're attacked in the street the police may be able to get filmed evidence.
    

    Schools often refuse to take action on bullying if it happens off the premises but they do...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/school-projects/school-projects.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/school-projects/school-projects.html Bullying UK gets many requests from pupils wanting help with bullying projects. We get many others from students, teachers and academics carrying out research. We try to help with these where we can. Most of the information you need is probably already on the website, if you can't find it then let us know and we'll explain where it is.

    If you want help with a written project for school/college, you can use any information off the site for background information, but please don't copy it word for word and please credit Bullying UK as the place you got it.
    Unfortunately, we cannot give permission for our copyright content to be used on any other websites or in any other electronic media or printed form.

    Statistics

    There are no official statistics for the number of pupils being bullied at any one time in the UK. The only type of bullying...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/bullies-have-taken-my-friends-away.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/bullies-have-taken-my-friends-away.html You can feel very lonely if the bullies have taken your friends away

    Often friends are afraid they'll also be bullied if they go around with you. It's always very upsetting when friends turn against you which is a good reason to try to make as many friends as you can, even those in different years.

    If the bully has taken your friends away you could have a word with each of your friends individually, at a time when nobody else is around, and just sound them out. You could try to get them talking about something they did at the weekend and then just say that you used to be friends with them and you're not sure why that changed. Tell them that you'd really like their support.

    You're probably not the only one being bullied who has to spend break and lunch hour on your own. Keep your eyes open....]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/introduction-to-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/introduction-to-bullying.html Bullies are very cunning and are expert at getting away with it.

    We all know that bullying goes on in every school but it's the way it's dealt with which makes the difference between life being tolerable or a misery.

    How to solve the problem

    If you are being bullied, tell a friend, tell a teacher and tell your parents. It won't stop unless you do. It can be hard to do this so if you don't feel you can do it in person it might be easier to write a note to your parents explaining how you feel, or perhaps confide in someone outside the immediate family, like a grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin and ask them to help you tell your parents what's going on.
    
    Your form tutor needs to know what is going on so try to find a time to tell him/her...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/moving-schools.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/moving-schools.html Moving Schools Is not always the answer

    You might think that it would be a good idea to move to a new school if you're being bullied but the reality is that there is bullying in all schools, although some deal with it better than others.

    All the best schools are already full and if you think that you will get preferential treatment to get into a good school because you're being bullied, or because you're staying at home due to bullying, then that isn't the case.

    You may end up being allocated to a less popular school and less popular often means poorer exam results and discipline problems.

    There are often long waiting lists for the best schools and although your parents can appeal to the local council for a place, there's no guarantee you would get one.
    

    Other things to consider are:

    • The new...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/body-language.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/body-language.html Think about the last time you walked into school. How did you feel? Confident and powerful?

      Or timid and worried? And how did you look to other people? Were you striding out purposefully with your head up, looking forward, or were you trying to make yourself look insignificant in the hope that the bullies wouldn't spot you?

      How to look more confident

      Body language tells us a lot about other people. If you're trying not to be noticed and looking at the ground a lot while darting into school it can make you more noticeable. You look defensive and vulnerable.

      If you step out boldly you send out a quite different message of confidence, as though you're the sort of person who might answer back if the bully tries a smart remark. You may not be very confident but you'll certainly look it.

      If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

      Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/bullying-in-sport.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/bullying-in-sport.html Bullying also goes on in sports clubs in school and out of school.
      If you're a young sports player and you're feeling upset at the way you're being treated on the field by your team mates or adults involved in the game then there are things you can do about that.

      Not everyone can be on the team so don't be upset if you're not always chosen. That doesn't mean that you're being bullied, just that the coach needs to pick the strongest side.

      But if team mates make fun of you on the pitch or in the changing room, or try to upset you to put you off the game so that you don't want to take part in training sessions, that could be bullying if it keeps happening.

      Action you can take

      • Tell your parents or carer
      • Ask your parents to contact your team coach
      • Keep a diary...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/taking-time-off-school.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/taking-time-off-school.html

        Sometimes, when you're very unhappy, you might want to stay at home to avoid the bullies because you're afraid of what they might do to you.

        Always tell your parents how upset you are so that they can help you. You need their support. Every day you go in to school is a triumph over the bullies because you're showing them that you have every right to be there and that their behaviour hasn't upset you as they'd hoped.
        

        Staying off school can make things more difficult the problem is that if you start taking days off then you can quickly fall behind with work and that makes life more stressful as well as possibly affecting your exam results and your future.

        Unfortunately, taking time off school without being genuinely ill is considered to be an unauthorised absence or truancy and your parents could end up being prosecuted for...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/gay-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/gay-bullying.html

  If people call you names then they might make nasty remarks saying that you are gay, whether you are or not. Rumours and gossip might be spread about you.

  You might be picked on in this way because you're quiet, good looking or because you have good friends of the same sex.
  

  What to do about gay bullyingIf you're being bullied in this way you need to tell your parents and report it to a teacher. Keep a diary of the remarks. If this sort of bullying spills over into violence then it should be reported to the police as a hate crime. Many police forces have specialist units to deal with these incidents.

  The people who make these remarks are trying to make you lose your temper

  so it's best not to respond to the taunts or if you feel you need to, just say, "Whatever".

  In many...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/racism.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/racism.html Britain is a multi-racial and multi-faith country and everyone has the right to have their culture and religion respected by others

  Nobody has the right to call you names or to treat you badly because of your colour, race or religion. It's illegal and it can be stopped. You don't have to be a different colour to suffer racist bullying. You might have come from Romania or the former Yugoslavia.

  Neither is racist bullying confined to colour of skin. We've had complaints of non-Welsh and non-Scots children experiencing bullying in those countries. Other complaints have been about traveller children finding life difficult in school.

  Racist bullying is the only type of bullying that schools must record.

  There is a difference between racial discrimination and racism Racial discrimination means being treated differently to someone else because of your race, perhaps by being told you cannot wear a turban if...]]> Liz Carnell Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/make-a-donation.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/make-a-donation.html

  Every year at Bullying UK we support more than 500,000 people, 300,000 of those are young people desperate for advice to help them cope with bullying and get it stopped. We can only be here for them with your help.

  We ask you to please make a donation, no matter how small, to help Bullying UK to meet its commitment to help over 300,000 young people a year.

  Please donate today through Just Giving, our donation partner.
  

  

  Donate Online it's safe and secure
  

  Bullying UK is a low cost, high impact charity, we provide our entire service for just £50,000 a year and all raised by you, the general public. We receive NO Government funding and are proud of our low cost way of working.

  Why should it cost millions to help only a few thousand young people when we can help hundreds of thousands by...]]> BullyingUK Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/school-projects.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/school-projects.html Carrying out projects in class, or as a school, makes sense if you are trying to find out whether bullying is a problem in your school, or whether your anti-bullying policy is effective.
  

  Statistics

  There are no official statistics for the number of pupils being bullied at any one time in the UK. The only type of bullying which has to be recorded in the UK is racist bullying.

  Neither are there any statistics for the number of young people who kill themselves due to distress over bullying. These figures do not have to be officially recorded but it is believed that around 16-20 pupils in the UK commit suicide every year. Some deaths are recorded at inquests as an 'open verdict' meaning there isn't enough evidence for the coroner to decide exactly what happened.

  Carry out a survey

  Bullying UK carried out The National Bullying Survey 2006...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/professional-projects.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/professional-projects.html There are many excellent anti-bullying projects and research going on in UK schools, LEAs and universities, which could be replicated in other areas of the UK.

  If you want to share your expertise with other professionals, send details of your project to help@bullying.co.uk and Bullying UK will include it in this section. If your school is having a special anti-bullying event we'll include that too.

  Sorry we can't include information from commercial firms due to the huge number of requests we get each week and the difficulty of evaluating their claims.

  Mediation scheme

  PC Gary Lewis, North Yorkshire Police youth action officer for Richmond, and a Community Police Officer of the Year, has run an anti-bullying roadshow as part of the Crucial Crew event for pupils in their last year at primary school and is happy to share information with other police forces about his successful bullying mediation scheme...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/working-with-parents.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/working-with-parents.html Parents are usually very protective of their children so if their child comes home complaining of being bullied it's not surprising that they're concerned.

  They may be very upset and storm into school demanding to know what you are going to do about the problem.

  We advise parents not to do that because if they were not aware of the problem the class teacher or head of year was probably not aware of it either. You can read the advice we give to parents here.

  If after hearing a brief outline of the complaint, it's not convenient for you to discuss the matter, ask the parent to come back to see you at another time when you can talk about it in more detail.

  Parents are sometimes unclear themselves about what's been going on, particularly in the case of a younger child.

  You may want to ask questions like:

  • How...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/bullying-policies.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/bullying-policies.html All UK state schools need to have bullying policies by law, but the type of policy they use is down to the school.
    Bullying is big business, with a large number of firms selling anti-bullying courses, workbooks and training schemes to schools and LEAs.

    None of the methods being used in schools have been evaluated in long term, independent studies by the government and Bullying UK has been pressing the DCSF to carry out evaluations for some years.

    We think it's time to find out what works and to ditch the rest

    Some schools have fairly straightforward documents concentrating largely on behaviour, but schools are increasingly turning to particular methods, including the no-blame approach, peer counselling, restorative justice and circle time.

    The best explanation we've seen for these methods is in The Anti-Bullying Handbook by Keith Sullivan, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19 558388-4 £9.99 and we recommend this book as an excellent source of...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/bullying-in-sport.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/bullying-in-sport.html If you think that bullying is confined to the school playground then think again.

    Bullying UK gets complaints about what happens on and off the sports pitch too. It isn't just other players who are the problem but parents, coaches and team managers can also be guilty of bullying behaviour.

    Football isn't the only sport to suffer but the proactive FA has done some excellent work in this area helped by the Child Protection in Sport Unit (www.sportprotects.org.uk ). Other sports can learn a lot from their lead.

    In 2003 under our former name of Bullying Online, we led a workshop on bullying at the NSPCC/FA Child Protection Conference in Derby and a number of important issues were raised with us.

    Most football, swimming. tennis and gymnastics clubs now have child protection policies to safeguard team members and also adult helpers but:

    Policies

    • Does your club or school sports team have...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/working-with-bullies.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/working-with-bullies.html When a pupil tells you that he/she is being bullied it's important to gather all the facts from both sides. This includes talking to the bully and any witnesses.
      Bullies will often not act alone and it's important to remember that you may be dealing with a number of pupils who are friends and who may give similar versions of events that differ to that of the victim.

      You will know from your own experience of the students who is friends with who and can use this as a way of assessing the accuracy of what you are being told.

      
      

      How to find out the real story

      Try to interview the pupils accused of bullying in such a way that they don't have the opportunity to get together to make up stories.

      Explain to the pupil accused of bullying what they are supposed to have done...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/support-staff.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/support-staff.html School support staff have a vital role to play because unlike teachers they are often in other areas of the building at break or lunchtime.

      Lunchtime supervisors: Are you aware of pushing and shoving in the queue? Are some pupils missing lunch because they're being bullied while waiting to be served?
      

      Playground supervisors: Are there some pupils at your infants and junior school who are spending a lot of time on their own? Are there minor conflicts during games which could escalate into more serious incidents?

      When a pupil comes to you in distress saying they have been pushed over or hurt is that really horseplay or is it happening often enough to be considered bullying? If a child has nobody to go around with could you find them a playground buddy?

      Are there regular issues of conflict in class?

      Learning...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/advice-for-schools.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/advice-for-schools.html Bullying UK is used as a teaching resource in schools and youth organisations and the schools' section has lots of information for head teachers, teachers, school ancillary workers and youth organisations.

      The National Curriculum covers bullying and relationships and we know that Bullying UK is widely used in schools by pupils for project work and by staff preparing lesson plans.

      But bullying isn't confined to schools and our emails also reflect the fact that the problem affects college and university students as well as youth clubs, sports clubs and other young peoples' organisations.

      General advice

      More work needs to be done in class and in youth organisations, from a very early age, and regularly repeated, so that everyone understands what bullying behaviour is, and that what one person may think is just a joke, may be very upsetting for someone else.

      If there has been a complaint from a parent to the class teacher, or...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/working-with-pupils.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/working-with-pupils.html  

      Bullying causes intense misery and many pupils who email Bullying UK say they are self harming or have made suicide attempts.

      Large numbers of pupils who contact us, girls in particular, are at home because they are afraid or can't face going to school.

      The classroom teacher in a primary school and the form tutor in a secondary school have a vital role to play in identifying bullying and nipping it in the bud before it escalates.

      Boys and girls bully in different ways but both are skilled manipulators, often lying their way out of situations and turning the tables on their victim. It's common for problems in the community between neighbours and relatives to spill over into school disputes.

      Girl bullying

      The victim is often an ex-best friend who is suddenly excluded from sleep-overs and social events. In happier times she will have shared confidences with the bully...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/recycle/recycle-donate-your-old-cds-dvds-and-video-games.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/recycle/recycle-donate-your-old-cds-dvds-and-video-games.html Over time we all build up large collections of things we don't use, watch or play with any more. Instead of letting them take up space in the bottom of cupboards or your loft why not send them to Bullying UK?

      We can recover a donation from the items you donate that will go directly to supporting our work with over 500,000 young people and their families a year.

      We do this in two distinct ways that mean nothing is wasted from your kind donation

      1. Donated items in good condition are listed on eBay with 100% donation going to the charity. eBay support us so 100% of the final value goes to Bullying UK (less Paypal processing fees).
      2. Items that are not in good condition will be placed to one side and sent to be melted down and turned into more CDs / DVDs. This process yields a smaller donation for...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/what-is-cyberbullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/cyberbullying/what-is-cyberbullying.html The school bully is quick to exploit new methods of bullying which means the problem is not left at the school gates.

      Many pupils are being targeted with cyberbullying in their own homes, by phone texts , silent calls, on instant messenger and by abusive websites and forums set up to cause humiliation and embarrassment.

      Fortunately, no matter how careful the bully is to cover his/her tracks, there is no hiding place in cyberspace and the police can track their digital fingerprints down to an individual computer or mobile phone. Abusive websites can be shut downBullying UK has a particular interest in cyberbullying and we've closed down a number of abusive websites and internet forums. There are also other hidden dangers on the internet and you need to know how to recognise risky websites which may not be what they seem.
      

      Cyber safety...]]> Liz Carnell Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/help-someone-else.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/help-someone-else.html If you see someone being bullied and you don't do anything to help them then you're helping the bully!

      People who are being bullied can feel their lives are such a misery that they want to die. Often other people at school don't realise the effect that bullying has when it goes on day in day out.

      Bullying makes people so upset that they often need to see a doctor. They might even try to kill themselves, or they self harm or perhaps suffer an eating disorder, particularly if they are called names about their weight or appearance.

      There are usually quite a lot of pointers that someone is being bullied and if you see or hear any of them you're in a good position to help.

      How to tell if someone is being bullied

      • Is anyone in your class taking a lot of time off, getting to school late, trying to avoid being in situations like the toilets...]]> Liz Carnell Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/are-you-a-bully.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/are-you-a-bully.html Around 16 pupils in the UK kill themselves every year due to distress over bullying.
        Their schools often say they had no idea what was going on. But the bullies know exactly what they've been doing - and so do their friends. It's too late to have regrets when someone has died, or been made so ill they need medical treatment.

        Bullying can make people feel really upset and depressed

        Here is what some pupils told us in just one week:
        "She has taken all my friends away and I go home at night and I'm depressed and cry" - girl aged 13

        "One time I wouldn't eat because of people calling me 'fat'" - boy aged 14

        "Mondays were worst because I had to face the bully again and I soon got so worried it made me ill" - teenage girl

        "I feel lonely and I want some advice about how to...]]> Liz Carnell Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/recycle/recycle-your-old-mobile-phone.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/recycle/recycle-your-old-mobile-phone.html Just got a free upgrade to the latest mobile phone? Swapped to a new handset? Send your old phone and let us unlock a donation from it. You might not know that even very old phones can be recycled and some phones carry as much as an £80 donation. Not bad for something you left in the back of your cupboard!

        
        Older phones are worth less but because of our 100% policy both in recycling and maximising your donation we shop around to find the best donation for your old mobile phone.

        Ready to donate your old mobile phone?

        Package your phones up securely. We don't need manuals, or SIM cards but please wipe your phone of any personal data prior to sending it to us. If you're unable to do this please include a note and we will attempt to do this for you/ The phone charger is not essential but...]]> Liz Carnell Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:25:47 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-stopping-the-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-stopping-the-bullying.html How does a school deal with bullying? Should verbal and physical bullying be treated the same? Is one always worse than the other? How should complaints from parents be handled? What if it is the teachers who are being bullied?

         

        

        Stopping the Bullying

        30 minutes 00 seconds
        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:55:01 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-challenging-homophobia.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-challenging-homophobia.html Homophobic bullying leads to more gay, lesbian and bisexual pupils playing truant and leaving school earlier than their heterosexual counterparts. Only six per cent of schools have specific policies to tackle the problem.

         

        

        Challenging Homophobia

        30 minutes 00 seconds
        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:53:44 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-the-scary-guy.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-the-scary-guy.html St Josephs RC High School in Lancashire invites The Scary Guy, a completely tattooed, giant of a man, to talk to pupils about taking responsibility for their behaviour.

         

        

        The Scary Guy

        15 minutes 00 seconds
        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:52:30 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-gangs.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-gangs.html Using an imaginary case study, Mike Baker asks an expert panel how they would tackle escalating gang-related incidents within schools.

         

        

        Gangs

        30 minutes 00 seconds
        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:50:47 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teachers-tv-peer-mentoring-matching-and-caring.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teachers-tv-peer-mentoring-matching-and-caring.html Learn more about the Peer Mentoring Project, a scheme designed to protect vulnerable pupils, as we follow three pairs of matched students at a school in Manchester.

         

        

        Peer Mentoring - Matching and Caring

        15 minutes 00 seconds
        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:46:40 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/percy-the-pigeon/percy-the-pigeons-bullying-uk-campaign.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/percy-the-pigeon/percy-the-pigeons-bullying-uk-campaign.html Percy’s campaign has gone international!

        Knitters are taking part in the campaign from countries such as America, Malta, Holland, Finland, and Germany and so on, as well as in the UK. If you would like to help spread Percy’s message and enjoy knitting, then please get in touch with Anita through her website, Twitter or Facebook.

        If you would like to help with this campaign, more information can be found on Anita’s website - Are You Being Bullied? They have many suggestions of ways you can help. You can also add a Percy Widget to your blog or website to help spread their message.

        You can follow Percy the Pigeon’s...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:34:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/percy-the-pigeon/percy-the-pigeon-knitting-pattern.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/percy-the-pigeon/percy-the-pigeon-knitting-pattern.html

        As a part of the campaign, they are working on spreading Percy’s message into as many schools as possible, by inviting knitters to knit a mini Percy from their specially designed Percy pattern by Toy designer Alan Dart, (which can be found through their website ) which can then be donated with his letter to their local schools. Flutterby creations, has very kindly set up a Ravelry group for knitters to join the campaign, as well as putting a Percy Kit together, with all that you need to...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:30:43 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/percy-the-pigeon/percy-the-pigeon-t-shirts.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/percy-the-pigeon/percy-the-pigeon-t-shirts.html Percy the pigeon and Matty-boy are characters from the children’s novel and campaign supporting the work of Bullying UK, you can read more about Percy the Pigeon and Matty-boy here.
        

        Percy the Pigeon has now added a range of t-shirts available in three designs, available through Teesonline . They are available in white or black in children and adult sizes.

        
        

        A donation of £2.99 from each t-shirt sale will also be donated to Bullying UK.

         

        
        

        ]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:28:15 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/percy-the-pigeon/percy-the-pigeon-introduction.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/percy-the-pigeon/percy-the-pigeon-introduction.html Who are Percy the Pigeon and his friend Matty-boy?

        Percy the pigeon and Matty-boy are characters from the children’s novel -

        Matty-boy & The Secret Pigeon Racket.

        The book is aimed at 8-12 year olds, but is also enjoyed by adults.

        Anita Hunt, the author of the book, wanted the story to be a part of a wider campaign to spread Percy’s...]]> Liz Carnell Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:26:50 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/cyber-bullying-awareness-singapore.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/cyber-bullying-awareness-singapore.html The story and the characters in this drama are fictional the video was created for the Singapore schools system but the theme applies to any country, Cyber-bullying in the UK can be considered a crime, Always tell someone when if it happens to you. This video has won the ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:52:45 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/be-social/become-social.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/be-social/become-social.html We are a social bunch at Bullying UK and we welcome you to join us on your network of choice.

        Twitter: The Entire Worlds Listening

        

        10,000 people worldwide are tuned into our Tweets (messages), We share news, views and updates about what Bullying UK is up to.

        Our Twitter friends love to get involved and support our work by passing our messages onto their friends (Retweets) it's a really fun community of people that love to discuss, debate and share. Visit @BullyingUK on Twitter

        You can also add our Twitter Ribbon (Twibbon) to your profile picture visit the BullyingUK Twibbon page .

        Facebook: Become a Fan and Share your thoughts

        

        
        

        Over 3000 people have become a fan of Bullying UK, we post interesting stories about bullying as well as links from around the web for Facebook users to discuss and share with their friends. Come and join the community,  they are a friendly bunch.
        Visit Bullying UK on Facebook

        Flickr: A...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/corporate-support/sainsburys-local-charity-of-the-year-harrogate.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/corporate-support/sainsburys-local-charity-of-the-year-harrogate.html Sainsbury's Harrogate has chosen Bullying UK to be its Local Charity of the Year after the store's colleague council unanimously voted to support our life-saving work during 2009. They have set themselves the target of raising £5,000  - a wonderful sum that will  allow us to support 50,000 people on their behalf.

        Bullying UK has been at the store handing out leaflets and advice as well as supporting Sainsbury's staff as they get involved in raising money to support our work.

        Richard, a member of the Sainsbury's Harrogate warehouse team, decided to walk Coast2Coast to support Bullying UK. His fantastic effort raised over £400.
        
        

        Tombolas were the order of the summer

        Even if the weather wasn't so great all the time, lots of Sainbury's Harrogate customers took a chance and had a dip in the tombola, prizes were donated by the store and Sainsbury's partners and even a few customers dropped...]]> John Carnell Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:37:18 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-ks12-pshe-talking-about-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-ks12-pshe-talking-about-bullying.html A look at the ways in which one primary school in north London has used PSHE as part of their strategy to tackle bullying and transform pupils' behaviour.

         

        

        KS1/2 PSHE - Talking about Bullying

        15 minutes 00 seconds

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:53:10 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teachers-tv-the-childrens-champion-combating-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teachers-tv-the-childrens-champion-combating-bullying.html Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the children's commissioner for England, visits two schools to identify new and successful strategies to deal with bullying.

         

        

        The Children's Champion - Combating Bullying

        15 minutes 00 seconds

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:51:56 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teachers-tv-how-do-they-do-it-in-norway.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teachers-tv-how-do-they-do-it-in-norway.html Norway has reduced bullying in some schools by 50 per cent. In this programme, we find out why Norwegians are such pioneers in tackling bullying, and explore the key features of their successful approach.

         

        

        Anti Bullying - How Do They Do It In Norway?

        30 minutes 00 seconds

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:48:29 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teachers-tv-girls-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teachers-tv-girls-bullying.html Experts explore the problem of girls bullying other girls and give tips on how to identify the symptoms as well as tackling the causes.

         

        

        Girls Bullying

        30 minutes 00 seconds

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:47:02 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/the-scary-guy-does-parents.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/the-scary-guy-does-parents.html The Scary Guy meets a group of parents to talk about bullying and ways of supporting their child.

         

        

        The Scary Guy Does Parents

        15 minutes 00 seconds

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:45:41 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-ks12-pshe-beat-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/teacherstv/teacherstv-ks12-pshe-beat-bullying.html This programme, which has been designed for use in the classroom, helps tackle bullying by exploring the feelings of all those involved.
        

        

        KS1/2 PSHE - Beat Bullying

        15 minutes 00 seconds

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:39:09 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/about-site/tour-of-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/about-site/tour-of-bullying-uk.html Here is a quick tour of the new Bullying UK website - Best viewed in HD and Full Screen

        ]]> John Carnell Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:34:03 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/about-site/bullyinguk-on-twitter.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/about-site/bullyinguk-on-twitter.html BullyingUK is one of the worlds top Twitter users over 10,000 people follow our updates and our account is ranked in the Top1000 world wide.
        Watch the video to get an idea of BullyingUK & Twitter. Best viewed in HD

        ]]> John Carnell Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:18:15 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/about-site/bullyinguk-on-facebook.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/about-site/bullyinguk-on-facebook.html Bullying UK has a very popular and ever growing page on Facebook, why not come and join us?
        Check out the Video to see what it's all about. Best viewed in HD

        ]]> John Carnell Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:16:27 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/type-1-diabetes-bullying-video-setting-the-record-straight.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/type-1-diabetes-bullying-video-setting-the-record-straight.html Setting the record straight on Type 1 Diabetes & bullying video by Diabetes UK

        ]]> John Carnell Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:29:21 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/childnet-international-cyber-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/video/childnet-international-cyber-bullying.html Let’s Fight It Together’ is an award winning film produced by Childnet for the Department for Children Schools and Families to help sensitise young people to the pain and hurt which can be caused by cyberbullying.

        ]]> John Carnell Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:24:46 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/fundraise/sponsor-forms.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/fundraise/sponsor-forms.html sponsorform1.pdf sponsorform2.pdf

         

         

        ]]> Liz Carnell Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:35:16 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/school-projects/bens-tragic-story.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/school-projects/bens-tragic-story.html

        Click the image below and click the "Expansion arrow" to read Ben's Story full screen or click here to view a PDF
        

        

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:45:45 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-to-ofstead.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-to-ofstead.html To the head of Ofsted

        (Chief Inspector, Ofsted, Alexandra House, 29-33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6SE).
        Dear ...,
        I enclose copies of correspondence with the head teacher and chairman of governors at Park High School where my daughter Mary is being bullied.

        In the report after the recent Ofsted inspection your inspector said that (the school should get a bullying policy/ the school had an effective bullying policy/ bullying was not considered to be a problem).

        
        Can you please assure me that my daughter's plight will be investigated and that your inspectors will ask to see all complaints made about bullying since your inspection.
        Yours sincerely,

        <Your Name>

        When you shop online why not support our work? Over 150 leading brands support us when you purchase through this link http://www.buy.at/bullying

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        
        

         

         

         

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:53:36 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-to-secretary-of-state.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-to-secretary-of-state.html To The Secretary of State

        (DCSF, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3BT)
        
        Dear Secretary of State,
        Please use your powers under section 68 and/or 99 of the Education Act 1944 because I believe Wessex County Council/ Park High School is acting unreasonably/illegally by (failing to investigate my complaint of bullying/ failing to supply a copy of my daughter's school records/ failing to halt bullying).

        
        

        I enclose copies of my correspondence with the head teacher, chairman of governors and LEA. (Detail specific bullying incidents).
        Yours truly,

        <Your Name>

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        When you shop online why not support our work? Over 150 leading brands support us when you purchase through this link http://www.buy.at/bullying

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:52:29 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-director-of-education.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-director-of-education.html To the Director of Education

        (at county council/metropolitan HQ, address in phone book).
        
        Dear Mrs White,
        I enclose copies of correspondence with the head teacher and chairman of governors of Park High School where my daughter Mary continues to be bullied by Jane Brown.

        
        

        I have asked what measures the school intends to introduce to deal with bullying. The response has been unsatisfactory because (the bullying has not stopped/ I have not been told what the school is doing about the problem).
        
        Please make a formal investigation into my complaint and issue a report. I note from Mary's records that (bullying incidents have been recorded/ bullying incidents have not been recorded/ the file fails to reveal what action was taken/ the file reveals action was taken but it has not been successful).
        
        Can you please tell me how many other complaints of bullying there have been to...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:51:48 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-to-the-governors.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-to-the-governors.html Letter to the chairman of governors

        (get his/her name from the school secretary and send the letter to the school address).
        
        Dear Mrs Green,
        I enclose a copy of a letter I sent to the head teacher of Park High School on (date). Unfortunately, despite writing to the class teacher/head of year and the head teacher, my daughter Mary is still being bullied by Jane Brown.

        
        

        As you will see, I have asked the head what strategy he can introduce to stop the bullying (I am not satisfied with his reply/ the bullying has continued). Please investigate my complaint and tell me what steps the governors intend to take to halt the bullying of my daughter.
        
        As this matter is unresolved I'd like a copy of Mary's school record to see what action has been taken on my earlier complaints. I understand that I will be asked to...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:50:50 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-to-the-head.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/letter-to-the-head.html Letter to the head teacher

        Dear Mr Jones,
        I have been dealing with Ms Smith over the bullying of my daughter Mary by Jane Brown. Despite discussing this with the class teacher/head of year, bullying is still going on.

        Can you please let me know what strategy you can introduce to resolve this problem and how it will be monitored? Is it possible for you to increase supervision at the time most of the bullying happens (at break/ in the playground/ in the corridor/ in the changing room).

        
        Can I please have a copy of the school bullying policy? Please put a copy of my complaint onto Mary's file together with your written response.
        Yours sincerely,

        <Your Name>

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        When you shop online why not support our work? Over 150 leading brands support us when you purchase through this link http://www.buy.at/bullying

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:50:18 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/head-of-year.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/complaint-letters/head-of-year.html Letter to the form teacher of head of year

        Dear Ms Smith,
        When I saw you yesterday and explained how upset my daughter Mary was due to bullying by Jane Brown, you said you would (do some work with the class / monitor the situation / speak to Jane's parents / keep me informed).

        Mary knows that she must tell you if she has any further problems. Can we please have a meeting in a couple of weeks to review the situation?
        Yours sincerely,

        <Your Name>

        When you shop online why not support our work? Over 150 leading brands support us when you purchase through this link http://www.buy.at/bullying

        ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:49:17 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/clairs-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/clairs-problem.html I've seen bullies hurt a boy and I don't know what to do

        Dear Liz,
        There are a couple of bullies in my school who are bullying another boy. I feel very sorry for him. He doesn't tell anyone. They steal his money and make him cry. Once they got his glasses and smashed them and threw them in the toilet. Is there anything I can do to put a stop to this. I don't want to get on the bullies bad side either.
        Claire

        Hello Claire,
        It's kind of you to want to help this boy, he must be terribly upset. Could you be his friend to start with, it sounds as though he needs one?

        Would you be able to tell his mum what has been happening because she needs to go into school about it? If you could discreetly tell a...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:29:28 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/peters-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/peters-problem.html People take the mick out of my illness

        Dear Liz,
        A few years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. Most of my friends are all right about it but some of them still take the mick. It can be upsetting, what can I do about it?
        Peter

        Hello Peter,
        It must be hard when people make fun over something which you can't help. If this is unpleasant bullying you should tell your form teacher but if it is someone having a bit of fun perhaps you could sort it out yourself.

        I think there might be some mileage to be had about your heroism in having to test your blood every day. You could always say you'll give them a demo of pricking your finger to get blood out of it. My guess is that they'd suddenly find they had somewhere else they needed to...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:28:59 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/roberts-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/roberts-problem.html Help me avoid bullies in the playground

        Dear Liz,
        I'm 9 and at primary school. When I'm playing football I get tripped up and they are always pushing me around and taking my dinner money. I often tell teachers about it because I've had a few injuries.
        Robert

        Hello Robert,
        I think you need to have some tactics to avoid problems. Stick to areas of school which you know are patrolled by staff because bullies are less likely to strike if there are a lot of people around.

        I know it's difficult if you like playing football but that will also mean they won't have access to your coat and dinner money. This is really a short term measure because their behaviour isn't right.

        Ask your mum or dad to write to your head teacher to outline what's been going on. Perhaps they could suggest that...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:28:31 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/mikes-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/mikes-problem.html Bullying makes me so upset I want to die

        Dear Liz,
        I'm 14 in March and I'm being bullied constantly. I've had people hitting me and yesterday I had to go to hospital because I thought I had a broken finger. Please help me. I'm sick to death and sometimes I feel like killing myself. I wish I was dead. I have been to the doctor.
        Mike.

        Hello Mike,
        I can see that things are really bad for you, but killing yourself isn't the answer. Bullying Online can help you to get things sorted out, it may take time, but it can be done.

        I'm glad you've been to see the doctor because you must be very down about what's going on. Is it possible for one of your parents to email Bullying Online because you'll need their help to sort this out? It can be...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:28:02 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/andrews-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/andrews-problem.html People are bullying me on the school bus

        Dear Liz,
        There's a lot of fighting on my school bus and there's an older boy who keeps calling me names and having a go at me. My mum says she can't keep leaving work early to pick me up but I'm afraid what might happen. I live quite a way from the bus stop and I keep thinking the bullies can get me on the way home too.
        Andrew

        Hello Andrew,
        Schools can take action over bullying on the school bus . Your parents need to write to the head teacher about this problem.

        In 2004 the government said that schools could take action on the journey to and from school so your parents could mention this link to the school if they are not aware of it Here

        Try to sit near the driver or near other passengers if...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:27:23 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/jasbinders-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/jasbinders-problem.html People call me names because I'm a different colour

        Dear Liz,
        I go to a school with not many pupils from different backgrounds so I stand out. I'm often called names, jokes are told about me and I'm told to go back to where I came from but this is my home and I was born here. My family don't know what's being said to me and I don't want to upset them by telling them. They don't speak English very well and they might not be able to sort it out for me.
        Jasbinder

        Hello Jasbinder,
        If these ignorant people are making nasty remarks about your background, colour and culture then this is racism. Try having a word with your class teacher at a time he or she isn't busy. Perhaps you could tell other people you've forgotten to hand in your homework and have to stay behind to finish it.

        If...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:26:57 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/maries-story.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/maries-story.html Will I be bullied more when I change school?

        Dear Liz,
        I've been having trouble with girls in my class in Year 6 for a long time and I'm worried it's going to get worse when we all move up to secondary school. I'm also afraid I'm going to get new bullies on to me too.
        Marie

        Hello Marie,
        It's natural to be worried and nervous about changing school because it can seem like a big step but your mum and dad can help you out with this.

        They can contact the head of the first year at your new school in the term before you start there and explain your concerns. Most schools don't want you to have a bad start to your new school life so they may be happy to make sure that you're not in the same form as the bullies.

        BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:26:23 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/amarjits-story.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/amarjits-story.html I can't face school because of the bullies

        Dear Liz,
        I'm 14 and I can't face school any more. I want to move to a new one because it can't be any worse than this. I'm always on my own at break and I've got nobody to go around with. I've fallen out with my friends and they're going around with someone who used to bully me.
        Amarjit

        Hello Amarjit
        I can understand why you're so unhappy but there may be ways this can be sorted out.

        Moving to a new school isn't all that easy because the best ones are usually full and you may not get a place. You might end up at a less popular school which is further away from where you live and it can be hard to settle in when everyone else already has friends. It's also possible the bullies will have friends at...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:24:54 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/charlies-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/charlies-problem.html I'm very depressed and I've been self harming

        Dear Liz
        My grades at school have gone right down and I'm bunking off when my mum's at work because I can't face all the lessons I have with the bullies. I'm being called names about my weight and I have nobody to go around with at break. When I sit down with my packed lunch the others get up and move away. I'm taking so much time off that my mum is going to find out soon. I've told my head of year and she spoke to them but they're still doing it. This is making me feel very depressed and I've self harmed a few times.
        Charlie

        Hello Charlie,
        I can understand why you don't want to go to school but if you take time off then you're damaging your chances of doing well in...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:24:24 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/davids-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/davids-problem.html Everyone has seen this horrible website which insults me

        Dear Liz,
        There's a website everyone at school knows about where people have been posting insulting messages about me giving my name and also my school and the year I'm in. Lots of vile and untrue things have been said about me and I don't know what to do. My mum wants to get the police involved but I'm afraid it will make things worse. I don't know who is behind it or how to complain and get the postings removed.
        David

        Hello David,
        I can understand why you're so upset about this, Bullying UK has closed down several of these unpleasant websites inviting others to post abuse.

        Although this board has been set up by people who live in your area, it is hosted abroad. If you go to the 'help' menu on the board...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:23:48 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/sarahs-problem.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/problems/sarahs-problem.html Threats from girl in my street

        Dear Liz
        I'm aged 14 and I'm not getting bullied at school but I get threats from an older girl who goes to my school and who lives in my street. We used to be really friendly but we fell out. I get nasty calls on my phone and takeaways and taxis sent to our house. I know she and her friends are behind it because sometimes she's said things in the text messages that only she would know. Do you think the school will do anything about her if my mum complains?
        Sarah

        Hello Sarah
        Schools don't usually do anything about bullying off the premises, that's because a High Court case a few years ago said they didn't have to, so although this girl goes to your school it's unlikely that the head teacher will want to get involved.
        
        The...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:22:57 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/clairs-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/clairs-tip.html Anyone out there being bullied don't suffer in silence. I've been there and done it and trust me it's not worth it. These horrible sad individuals can ruin your life and even push you to suicide.

        Don't let them, they have the problem, not you, tell someone and put a stop to it. You are letting them do what they want if you stay silent so don't. Put on a brave face and if at all possible walk away from these situations and if not look for a nearby adult and attract their attention.

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:29:58 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/pauls-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/pauls-tip.html If you have an older brother or sister talk to them first, as they are more likely to be closer to your level on matters. Your parents are also more likely to listen and accept their word on the subject.

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:29:43 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/lucies-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/lucies-tip.html The most important thing is to tell someone. It may not be that easy, I know I have been there ! But from my experience I have learned that you can't just sit around and wait for it to stop. You have to do something.

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:29:12 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/gavins-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/gavins-tip.html If you are getting bullied tell a teacher, parent or an adult and don't suffer. If you want to make them stop you just stand up to them and you will find they are nothing but cowards looking for attention or trying to be popular which they are really not.

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:28:59 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/shazzys-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/shazzys-tip.html If you are being bullied tell a grown-up or a teacher or a friend that you can trust, tell someone that won't go and tell everyone. Don't be afraid to tell someone. Don't push back if they hit or push you, just walk away 'cause if you hit them back it will only make things worse. Remember be brave.

         

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:28:20 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/alices-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/alices-tip.html If you are being bullied, just tell someone. I was bullied for a year and a half and eventually wrote a letter to the head of my school. Be strong, and feel confident.

        Show the bullies that there is a good side to you. I changed through my experiences. While I was being bullied, I became shy and afraid, I even missed school.

        But then I realised that I wasn't the bad person in this, they were. I went through counselling and eventually built up my hopes, focusing on what my strengths and weaknesses were and what I needed to change. This helped me tremendously and I changed.

        In some ways the bullying helped me, it made me see that I had strengths that I didn't even know about, all you need to do is find those strengths inside yourself. The ex-bullies and I are now really good friends and everything...]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:27:52 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/sams-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/sams-tip.html I feel that although the school didn't listen to me or help me I want to show others that you can come through the other side of bullying. I reached my GCSE's and felt terrified that I would fail as I had completely blanked out two years of my life, I couldn't remember a thing I'd been taught.

        Luckily I had made good notes throughout this time and I came through getting the highest results in the year.

        I moved to another sixth form and I have not experienced anything like it since. Don't let anyone tell you that once you have been a victim to bullies you will always be. You won't.

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:27:11 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/pauls-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/pauls-tip.html Tell someone - not a friend or colleague around the same age, but a parent or teacher that does not dote on the bullies (a common experience in school).

        Nowadays I have realised that I am a good person, with a lot of good to do in the world - just remember that to create and bring happiness to others brings happiness to yourself. It's easy to want to curl up and die.

        It may be difficult, but be friendly and open and honest with other people than the bullies. The more friends you develop, the more the bullies will leave you alone because people will stick up for you.

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        
        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:26:52 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/stuarts-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/stuarts-tip.html Try to find out who else is being bullied, strength in numbers does work; If you can't tell your parents, tell your grandparents as it is usually much easier; At school breaks try to be somewhere safe such as in detention or the library.
        If bullies pick up on something like the way you walk, try to laugh at yourself and carry on acting as you were before because most bullies I have known take the piss because you don't like it. If you agree with them, they lose their point.

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:25:55 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/clairs-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/clairs-tip.html Whatever you do - TELL SOMEONE! Make people listen to you and don't take no for an answer. Make a logbook of bullying incidents to use as evidence if need be. You have the right to live without fear. Don't think that you're being a "grass" - why should you do a bully a favour by keeping quiet?

        Bullying thrives on silence and secrecy. It's difficult but do try to make yourself look brave if something happens, even though you're quaking in your boots. Another thing to bear in mind is that bullying is surprisingly impersonal! A lot of bullies have traumatic personal lives and pick on victims because they want to make themselves feel "big" and often randomly select someone often for the most trivial of reasons. Lastly, it isn't your fault. Stay safe and good luck

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:24:41 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/seans-tip.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/tips/seans-tip.html I just finished school and I have to say I had a horrible time due to bullying and it wasn't helped when the teachers wouldn't do anything about it.

        Follow the advice on this website, it really works, look about and you'll find its a lot more easy to make friends than you think, when I was in year 9 and 10 I had no friends and no social life and I even contemplated suicide but by the end of year 11 I had more than 14 good friends and bullying was little of a problem to me.

        It still goes on but if you make an effort to make some friends you will find your confidence will grow so much the bullying won't matter.

        If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

        ]]> BullyingUK Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:23:17 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/media-work.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/media-work.html Bullying UK has worked with a large number of media partners over the last 10 years, if you are a member of the media and would like to speak to us about a story or feature please contact the media team here or on 07946 610535. We're sorry that we don't run a phone help line and can only give advice by email on help@bullying.co.uk

        TV and radio credits

        • GMTV
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        National / daily newspaper credits

        • The Times
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        • Daily...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:23:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/art/yamerias-logos.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/art/yamerias-logos.html
          Yamerias has created some fantastic alternative artwork of BullyingUK's Logo.  Using advanced techniques to create Ascii and Mosaic versions of our lovely logo, Yamerias has also added our logo to a custom Guitar Hero World Tour glove for the Nintendo DS that looks really sweet.
          
          
          
          ]]> BullyingUK Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:06:50 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/art/posters-by-harrogate-high-school.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/art/posters-by-harrogate-high-school.html

          These posters were created by young people at Harrogate High School

           

          ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:10:08 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/art/posters-by-kirsty.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/art/posters-by-kirsty.html

          My inspiration comes from personal experience and things that I see happening around me. The reason I draw Manga is because I used to watch Pokemon and to this day I still watch Teen Titans and I started to copy the style.

          The drawing started when I was 8. Then when I was 10 (5 years ago) I started to get bullied because of the way I looked and drawing was my escape from reality. I drew what I felt which is why many of the drawings the people are crying. Being bullied hurt and that was reflected in the drawings. Everyday I saw someone getting bullied it would give me ideas for pictures (and yes I do help these people I'm don't have a heart of stone!) then when I got home I would draw the idea that I had had.
          
          Being bullied isn't something...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:08:47 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/art/user-created-anti-bullying-posters.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/art/user-created-anti-bullying-posters.html

          All these poster have been created using our Anti-bullying poster creator: Click, Create & Print

          Make a poster of explore posters created by other users.

          ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:04:28 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/tara-robins.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/tara-robins.html

          Hi - I've submitted some material that I would like to be put on the verse part of the zone. I wrote both of these whilst I was being horrifically bullied at school.Having always loved to read, I found that writing was an immense help to me as it allowed me to release emotions that I couldn't voice to others.

           

          The bullying lasted 3 years and even now if I see any of them they shout abuse at me.
          
          My parents eventually took me out and moved me to a different school, which I loved, but what I had experienced had damaged me, and I couldn't move on from the pain. I became a self-harmer and was diagnosed with depression, and eventually I attempted suicide by taking an overdose. My parents couldn't cope anymore and I was admitted to the Priory for 5...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:22:18 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/tina-koenig.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/tina-koenig.html

          I wrote the poem because I was made aware of bullying from quite an early age. I moved to Northern Scotland from Germany at the age of eight and my family immediately became the targets of bullying (even 'adult' bullies!) from another family in the street.
          This was due to 'traditional' negative beliefs about Germany and the war etc. so we became associated with that belief just because we came from Germany. I think this is really sad that some people are targeted just because they come from a certain place.
          
          Even if the bully beats you up - you are still the stronger one - you should always remember that you are not the one with the problem - it is the bullies that have the problem. Everybody deserves a chance in life. Everybody has a right to...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:21:36 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/lara-roberts.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/lara-roberts.html
          I heard about you guys through MySpace and wanted to contribute a poem I wrote when I was getting bullied last year. I wasn't sure whether to just copy-paste it or not so I added it as an attachment.
          
          
          
          I hope that what you're doing helps people. Keep up the good work, guys!
          
          
          Calling out your name
          In the dark of endless night.
          She's drowning in the flames
          Of the cold, destructive light.
          As the angels fade to nothing
          And the world is wreathed in dark.
          The smiles are wreathed in sadness
          And the falling leaves are marked.
          
          Crimson rivers flow through the stone-baked streets,
          As the ones you deem "unworthy"
          Fall and gurgle at your feet.
          No one...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:20:41 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/natalie.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/natalie.html
          Hi my name is Natalie and i am 16. I have been bullied since i was in primary school. I was born with a cleft lip and palate so there was always something for people to say to me. The bullying started when i was in Year 3 and carried on till Year 11.
          
          
          I told my mum and she told my school, the school never did anything and denied they had a bullying problem. Although my family all supported me i felt so alone. I felt like i had nowhere to turn. I was scared to go out or to school, But i went.
          
          The bullying got so bad i felt the only way out was to comit suicide. I had tried before when i was in Year 4, my mum walked in on my hanging myself. This...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:19:59 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/aza-fool.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/aza-fool.html
          I wrote the poem for someone close to me who I knew was getting bullied.
          He couldnt see a way out of it, getting abused both verbally and physically became an everyday occurence for him inside and outside of school and he was fast forgetting what life was like before.
          
          
          It was and still is frustrating to realise that nothing I could do would ever end the torment he was facing day in, day out. By writing this poem I hoped to help him realise that no matter how alone he felt we were all with him and that the light at the end of the tunnel would still be shining no matter how many obstacles stood in the way.

          You are the fire
          

          You are the fire
          That surrounds me
          ...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:19:07 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/chanelle-dale.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/chanelle-dale.html

          I wrote this poem a few months ago when I was going through a depressed stage. I was being badly bullied at school and it was upsetting me so much, but my mum is quite ill and I didn't want to worry her so I was trying to keep my unhappiness from her.
          

          
          

          Also, a lot of my 'friends' were getting fed up with me always being upset so I was trying to act happy for them. Basically all the emotion was threatening to spill over, so I wrote my feelings down in a series of poems, this is just one of them.

          TO THE BULLIES !

          YOU SAID THINGS TO TRY AND HURT ME
          AND GUESS WHAT IT WORKED
          YOUR JUST PATHETIC & NEED TO GET A LIFE
          YOU TRIED TO RUIN MINE & FOR AGES I THOUGHT YOU HAD
          ...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:18:16 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/georgina-teague.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/georgina-teague.html

          I wrote my poem because I would like victims to see that other people may be in exactly the same situation as them, and to try and make bullies see what they are putting people through.

           

          I hope that by reading my poem, victims will see that they can get help, but they need to be brave enough to try. I also hope that bullies will see how they are making people feel.

          I wrote my poem as I felt that I was being bullied a bit, although it has been sorted out now. I think that bullies are just insecure people that end up having to be mean to others to make themselves feel better.

          My Poem

          When you're being bullied, it's like being a small, fragile rowing boat,in the middle of a big, wide ocean.
          One day you're a happy, colourful boat, surrounded...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:15:38 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/antony-wyatt.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/antony-wyatt.html

          This poem was written for a girl I know, her bullying came to a grave extent and she often hid it away eventually she opened up to me. I could relate to the feelings she had because I had also been bullied, mine to the point of being strangled in my own lesson, worse of all nothing was done about it.
          

          
          

          After she told me about what was going on I told her to stand up for her self later that day she txted me saying what happened and how everything was ok now. This poem was then written for herbecause she got me into poetry and for the memory of the trust she gave to me. Bullying is a horrible thing a weakness in young hearts, people should see that no matter what we look like, ourlanguage or even the way we walk, we still...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:14:40 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/aaz-newton.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/the-zone/verse/aaz-newton.html

          I wrote the poem for someone close to me of whom I knew was getting bullied.

          He couldnt see a way out of it, getting abused both verbally and physically became an everyday occurence for him inside and outside of school and he was fast forgetting what life was like before.

           

          It was and still is frustrating to realise that nothing I could do would ever end the torment he was facing day in, day out. By writing this poem I hoped to help him realise that no matter how alone he felt we were all with him and that the light at the end of the tunnel would still be shining no matter how many obstacles stood in the way.

          Tell me!

          Why is it always the fat, ugly,
          geeky one, that gets p-p-p-picked on?
          
          Why is it...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:13:17 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/model-letters-to-help-your-complaint.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/model-letters-to-help-your-complaint.html If your child is bullied it's important that they keep a diary or you keep one on their behalf, and that if an initial phone call or visit to the school doesn't resolve the problem, that you put complaints in writing.

          Letter to the form teacher of head of year

          Dear Ms Smith,
          When I saw you yesterday and explained how upset my daughter Mary was due to bullying by Jane Brown, you said you would (do some work with the class / monitor the situation / speak to Jane's parents / keep me informed).

          
          Mary knows that she must tell you if she has any further problems. Can we please have a meeting in a couple of weeks to review the situation?
          Yours sincerely,

          Letter to the head teacher

          Dear Mr Jones,
          I have been dealing with Ms Smith over the bullying of my daughter Mary by Jane Brown. Despite discussing this...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:59:48 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/independent-and-private-schools.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/independent-and-private-schools.html Independent and private schools are just that.

          They have a much larger degree of autonomy than state schools, so there is no local education authority to oversee their behaviour, but there are still places to turn when things go wrong.

          Both the Independent Schools Information Service (ISIS) and the DCSF (Department for Education and Skills) have provided Bullying Online with helpful information for parents who are dealing with school bullying.

          All independent schools in the UK have to be registered with the DCSF but this only ensures they meet basic legal requirements. Most schools are also accredited and belong to one of eight different organisations - which means their quality is also scrutinised and they are rigorously inspected.

          When you shop online why not support our work? Over 150 leading brands support us when you purchase through this link http://www.buy.at/bullying

          When things go wrong, just as in a state school, the first person...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:58:42 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/bullying-outside-school.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/bullying-outside-school.html Bullying outside school is a frequent source of trouble between neighbours and divides roughly 50:50 into school bullies and serious problems with local children.

          If these children are pupils at the same school as your child then it's sensible to warn the school that trouble at home could spill over into school.
          
          Schools can act over bullying on the way to and from schoolIn 2004 the DCSF issued guidance to schools reminding them they can take action on bullying on the journey to and from school so if bullying is carried out by pupils in school uniform then it's worth a complaint to the head teacher asking for action to be taken in accordance with the guidance. DCSF guidance here

          Schools won't normally take action over incidents at weekends or during the school holidays.

          If your child feels unsafe you could get him/her an attack alarm. These often...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:58:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/taking-legal-action.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/taking-legal-action.html Parents are increasingly asking Bullying UK about legal action - which should be a last resort.

          It is an arduous path, and speaking from personal experience of one of the Bullying UK trustees, you need to be determined, tenacious, and prepared for a long and unpleasant battle.
          
          There is no prospect of success unless you have ample evidence of physical or mental harm, backed up with letters to and from the school and comprehensive medical reports.

          Legal action should be a last resort

          Bullying UK's view is that legal action should be the very last resort and that any parents who think they want to pursue this should see a local solicitor for half an hour of free legal advice to see if there is any point in taking the matter further.
          
          Details about legal aid for children are in the Community Legal Service booklet A Step...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:57:30 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/moving-your-child-to-a-new-school.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/moving-your-child-to-a-new-school.html Moving a child to a new school is a big step and one that needs lots of thought.

          It might look like an easy option but in reality it isn't.

          
          

          You need to consider

          • Could the problem be resolved with the input of the governors and LEA?
          • How easily will your child fit into an established year group?
          • Does the new school use the same exam board?
          • Will your child miss his/her friends?
          • How easily will your child fit into an established year group?
          • Do the bullies also have friends at the new school?
          • Will the travel arrangements be more difficult?

          If you still want to change school then you simply contact the new one, arrange to have a look around, and if you like it then you agree a start date between you.

          Things are more complicated if the new school is full. In that case you will need to...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:57:03 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/parents-panel-have-your-say.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/parents-panel-have-your-say.html Bullying UK wants to know what YOU think about the way school bullying is dealt with in the UK today and you can join one of three panels to tell us.

          These panels are open to everyone, we want to hear your views and we'll be posing questions to panel members regularly so that you - the people at the sharp end of government bullying policies - can tell us whether bullying is getting better or worse.
          
          Bullying UK's workload is huge (more than 8,500 emails last year) and reflects that of other charities which all report increasing numbers of complaints. Successive governments - both Labour and Conservative - have drawn up numerous expensive initiatives over the years, issued schools with bullying advice and held conferences.

          So why are increasing numbers of pupils still being bullied in UK schools? Tell us what you think and we'll make sure that...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:56:35 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/bullying-in-sport.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/bullying-in-sport.html Bullying UK gets complaints about what happens on and off the sports pitch too.

          It isn't just other players who are the problem but parents, coaches and team managers can also be guilty of bullying behaviour.

          Pushy mums and dads

          Professor Celia Brackenridge's research showed that many youngsters give up football because of the stress of parental pressure, the shouting and taunts from the touchline.

          Football development officers have been very fed up with parents' behaviour with mini soccer being turned into a mega stress with a 'win at all costs' attitude.

          Are you taking the game more seriously than you should, shouting vociferous encouragement from the side, displaying excessive disappointment at the missed goal and of course outright abuse or invasion of the pitch should never be tolerated and neither should abuse between rival team parents in the heat of the game.

          Set a good example

          If you're a parent think about the example you're...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:56:07 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/home-schooling.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/home-schooling.html You can teach your child at home if you prefer and many parents do so successfully, often with the help of organisations with local support networks like Education Otherwise.

          Home educating parents are not required to teach the National Curriculum, have a timetable, or mark work done by their child, but the DCSF says that LEAs in England should offer advice and support to parents on these issues.

          The DCSF recommends that parents keep samples of the child's work, record educational progress within a set period, have plans of work and outline educational objectives.

          Some LEAs are more helpful than others, but parents who are teaching their children at home tell Bullying Online they enjoy doing so and find it beneficial. Local support groups mean that children can have plenty of contact with other home educated pupils.

          There are a number of excellent groups advising parents thinking of this option. Their contact details...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:55:28 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/teacher-bullying.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/teacher-bullying.html Generally speaking, teachers do a good job, often under stressful circumstances, so when your child complains they are being bullied by a teacher it's worth considering what might be behind it.
          

          Possible reasons for conflict

          • Could your child be misbehaving in class?
          • Is your child misinterpreting the teacher's actions?
          • Is this the only teacher your child complains about?
          • Is the teacher trying to get him/her to produce better work?
          • Is the teacher unaware of personal circumstances in your family where jokes which might be inoffensive to most people upset your child?

          Make some discreet inquiries among the parents of your child's friends. Overt unpleasant remarks are likely to be remembered by other children and reported to their parents. If other parents also have concerns about the way their children are treated then that might indicate a problem.

          Discuss with your child what sort of remarks are made and in what circumstances....]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:55:03 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/parents-problem-page.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/parents-problem-page.html Dealing with bullying on your own can be very isolating, so here are extracts from some emails which you may find help your own situation.

          The names and some details have been changed for confidentiality reasons so that neither pupil, school nor family can be identified

          The bully keeps hitting my son

          Dear Liz,
          My child is aged six and yesterday I picked him up as normal to find a boy hitting him. Apparently this is not the first time this bully has done this and there is no point speaking to his mother as I've heard her arguing with someone else about him.
          The headmaster has asked me if I can think of any idea to stop his bad behavior because he's always disrupting the class and being violent. The head led me to believe he may be expelled eventually.
          Dave
          
          Dear Dave
          I sympathise with your...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:54:08 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/contacting-the-governors-and-lea.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/contacting-the-governors-and-lea.html Unfortunately many parents find that bullying continues after they have asked the class teacher, head of year or head teacher to sort it out.

          Contact the governors

          After a written complaint to the head, the next step is to contact the chair of governors. You can get his/her name from the school office. Write to him/her at the school address. Explain the background and enclose any letters between you and the head. Ask for an immediate investigation.

          It's unlikely that all governors will be made aware of your complaint.

          This is because many issues are dealt with as 'Chair's Action' and the chairman may hope to get the matter resolved with the head teacher quickly.

          The other reason not all governors will be made aware of the complaint is because the matter may escalate into an exclusion of the bully and if that happens the bullied child's parents will have a right of appeal...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:53:31 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/access-to-pupil-records.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/access-to-pupil-records.html Bullying UK regularly recommends that parents get a copy of their child's school record if bullying is continuing despite complaints.

          Many state school parents find that they are denied access for a variety of reasons, which is unlawful.

          Sometimes requests for a copy of the record are ignored.

          Excuses given to parents for refusing access to the pupil's record:

          • The record is private
          • The head said a parent could only view certain parts of the record in his presence
          • The head said he'd never allowed any parent to see a record and he wasn't going to start now
          Your child's school file is a valuable way of finding out what has been going on in class. Ideally it should contain copies of reports, which have already been sent home, results of classroom tests, which are carried out from time-to-time in school life, and copies of any complaints parents have made together with action...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:53:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/contacting-the-school.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/contacting-the-school.html In the first instance, at a primary or junior school, see the class teacher and explain your worries in a friendly non-confrontational way.

          Ask how your child is getting on with others in class and raise any issues of conflict with other children.

          Ask if the teacher has noticed that your child seems unhappy and isolated and is being excluded from games in the playground or regularly not having a partner to work with in class.

          Ask the class teacher, or the head of year at secondary school, if he/she can keep an eye on the situation and let you know if they have any concerns. Ask what the teacher suggests would be the best way of sorting it out. At a primary school perhaps the supervisors could take a more active role in the playground by keeping an eye on your child and ensuring that people are not excluded from games.

          Some...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:52:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/school-bus-bullies.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/school-bus-bullies.html This is something of a grey area. Sometimes schools act and sometimes they don't. It depends on the school.

          A High Court case several years ago established that schools were not liable for bullying carried out by pupils outside the school gates but the DCSF announced in 2007 that schools COULD take action on incidents on the journey to and from school.

          The relevant section is http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/exclusion/guidance/part2/ which says........

          "Pupils' behaviour outside school on school business, for example, on school trips, away school sports fixtures, or work experience placements, is subject to the school's behaviour policy. Bad behaviour in such circumstances should be dealt with as if it had taken place in school.

          "For behaviour outside school, but not on school business, a head teacher may exclude a pupil if there is a clear link between that behaviour and maintaining good behaviour and discipline among the pupil body as a whole. This will...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:51:38 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/is-my-child-being-bullied.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/is-my-child-being-bullied.html Finding out that your child is being bullied is a stressful and distressing experience. It's natural for a parent to feel anger, confusion and guilt. Some children are good at hiding their feelings and the first you may know of the problem is when your child suddenly doesn't want to go to school, or says they are ill when PE lessons are on the agenda.

          Pointers to a bullying problem

          • Coming home with cuts and bruises
          • Torn clothes
          • Asking for stolen possessions to be replaced
          • 'Losing' dinner money
          • Falling out with previously good friends
          • Being moody and bad tempered
          • Wanting to avoid leaving the house
          • Aggression with brothers and sisters
          • Doing less well at schoolwork
          • Insomnia
          • Anxiety
          • Being quiet and withdrawn

          The worst thing to do is to over-react and storm into school demanding action. Bullying Online is regularly contacted by parents who have lost their temper...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:50:36 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/role-of-the-dcsf.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/role-of-the-dcsf.html If your complaints to the head teacher, governors and LEA haven't worked then you can complain to Ed Balls, the Education Minister at the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

          The DCSF used to be called the DfES and before that the DfEE.

          
          The DCSF thinks that the LEA should treat all allegations of bullying seriously and should investigate them with the school concerned. However, it's up to the LEA to decide the extent of the investigation.
          
          Where there are conflicting accounts of events the LEA should try to establish which account is the most accurate.  It will be relevant to consider factors such as the seriousness of the alleged incidents and the number of pupils involved.
          
          Although pupil behaviour issues are primarily the school's responsibility, the DCSF believes the LEA should consider using its powers to intervene where necessary, for example where the education of pupils...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:49:44 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/bullying-policies.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/general/bullying-policies.html All UK state schools need to have bullying policies by law, but the type of policy they use is down to the school.

          Bullying is big business, with a large number of firms selling anti-bullying courses, workbooks and training schemes to schools and LEAs.
          
          None of the methods being used in schools have been evaluated in long term, independent studies by the government and Bullying UK has been pressing the DCSF to carry out evaluations for some years.

          We think it's time to find out what works and to ditch the rest.

          Some schools have fairly straightforward documents concentrating largely on behaviour, but schools are increasingly turning to particular methods, including the no-blame approach, peer counselling, restorative justice and circle time.
          
          The best explanation we've seen for these methods is in The Anti-Bullying Handbook by Keith Sullivan, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19 558388-4 £9.99...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:49:01 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/dealing-with-an-older-bully.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/dealing-with-an-older-bully.html By the time a pupil is at secondary school he/she will know perfectly well that bullying is wrong.

          There have been many cases where teenagers have killed themselves due to bullying and no doubt the bullies never thought this would be the consequence of their behaviour.
          
          You can tell your teenager that Bullying UK gets hundreds of emails a month and a surprising proportion of these are from secondary school pupils who say they are suicidal now or have been in the past.
          Some have been cutting themselves due to their distress. Others are receiving psychiatric and psychological help. Many of them are too frightened to go to school and some have been removed from school by their parents.
          
          We also get emails from pupils suffering from eating disorders because they have been called fat when they are perfectly normal, and others from pupils...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:40:40 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/do-you-share-blame.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/do-you-share-blame.html Our good friend, the late Tim Field, and Neil Marr have written an excellent book called Bullycide - Death at Playtime

          Which explains the circumstances in which a number of bullied pupils have killed themselves.

          You can find out more about this book at www.successunlimited.co.uk/books/bullycid.htm. You can also see the names and details of children who have killed themselves due to bullying on www.successunlimited.co.uk/bullycide/cases.htm

          Some things to think about

          • Do you encourage your children to stand up for themselves and could their assertiveness be construed as bullying?
          • Are you confrontational?
          • Are you critical of teaching staff in front of your child?
          • Do you try to work with the school on problems
          • Do you tell your children to hit back?
          • Are you aggressive if another parent complaints to you about bullying?
          • Do you give your children space to talk about things that may be upsetting them?
          
          
          If you need help from Bullying UK email us here
          When you shop...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:39:47 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/if-your-child-is-bullying-others.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/if-your-child-is-bullying-others.html Your first reaction might be disbelief that your well-behaved son or daughter is being accused of bullying.

          You can expect them to deny it.

          But before you dismiss the thought out of hand, listen to what the school has to say about it. Parents rarely complain to a school at the outset of bullying, there's usually been a history of unhappiness. Sometimes the target has had to take time off school through fear and may be suffering such distress that they need to see a doctor.

          
          
          You need to take what the school says seriously and work with staff on a solution. There are times when people are unjustly accused of being bullies but a thorough investigation should reveal this. When you shop online why not support our work? Over 150 leading brands support us when you purchase through this link http://www.buy.at/bullying

          Sanctions

          Sanctions against your child could include a warning,...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:38:42 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/how-does-bullying-make-a-child-feel.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/how-does-bullying-make-a-child-feel.html

          Bullying UK receives thousands of emails a year from young people, many of them feeling very distressed and powerless to put a stop to bullying.

          Some of them have told us how bullying makes them feel:"She has taken all my friends away and I go home at night and I'm depressed and cry" -  girl aged 13
          
          "One time I wouldn't eat because of people calling me 'fat' - boy aged 14
          
          "Mondays were worst because I had to face the bully again and I soon got so worried it made me ill" - teenage girl
          
          "I feel lonely and I want some advice about how to feel better about myself, going to school" - girl aged 15
          
          "I feel like killing myself, it's that bad. I will probably end up in hospital, I have no friends and if I don't get...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:38:16 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/dealing-with-a-younger-bully.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/dealing-with-a-younger-bully.html Try to explain that bullying is behaving in a way that upsets someone and that this can affect other children so badly that they don't want to go to school.
          If the bullying involves physical abuse like hitting or kicking, recall a time when your child was upset because they were hurt and explain that this is how someone else feels when they are attacked.
          
          Ask your child how he/she would feel if someone was behaving like this to him/her and what he/she would want to have done about it.
          

          How to deal with a complaint about a younger child

          • Tell your child calmly what they are accused of and ask for an explanation
          • Ask the head teacher if your child is the only one accused of bullying
          • Ask the head teacher what strategy he/she can introduce to deal with the problem
          • Explain to the child that...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:37:32 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/is-my-child-a-bully.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/is-child-bully/is-my-child-a-bully.html Around 16 children in the UK kill themselves every year due to distress over bullying.

            Their schools often say they had no idea what was going on. But the bullies know exactly what they've been doing - and so do their friends. It's too late to have regrets when someone has died, or been made so ill they need medical treatment.
            
            This section provides help for parents who are worried that their child is a bully.

            You're a bully if you do any of these things to someone else

            • You call them names
            • You make up stories to get them into trouble
            • You take their friends away leaving them on their own
            • You hit them, kick them, trip them up or push them around
            • You make remarks about their looks or weight
            • You don't choose them to be your partner in class
            • You tell them you're busy and then go...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:35:36 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/racism/who-can-help-on-racism.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/racism/who-can-help-on-racism.html There are lots of places you can find help in your own community to deal with racism and racial discrimination.
              

              National links
              

              • Commission for Racial Equality
              • For Sikh children
              • Black Information Link. Ethnic minority issues
              • Confederation of Indian Organisations, working with Asian voluntary organisations
              • Holocaust Memorial Day: January 27 in the UK. This commemorates the date of the anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau

              Victim Support

              • The Refugee Council. The UK is now home to people from all corners of the world, including those from Romania and the former Yugoslavia.
              • Crime and Disorder Act 1998, relating to racially aggravated offences
              • Simon Wiesenthal survived death camps to become a Nazi hunter. www.wiesenthal.com
              • Anne Frank Memorial Day: June 12

              Race Equality Councils - North of England

              • Calderdale VA, Halifax 01422 348777
              • Kirklees REC, Huddersfield 01484 540 225
              • Leeds REC, 0113 237 4663
              • Rotherham REC, 01709 373 065
              • Sheffield REC, 0114 203 9325
              • York REC, 01904 642 600

              Race Equality Councils - Scotland

              • Central...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:31:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/racism/dealing-with-racism.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/racism/dealing-with-racism.html
                Britain is a multi-racial and multi-faith country and everyone has the right to have their culture and religion respected by others.
                Nobody has the right to call your child names or to treat them badly because of their colour, race or religion.
                

                It's illegal and it can be stopped.

                You don't have to be a different colour to suffer racist bullying. Your family might have come from Romania or the former Yugoslavia.
                
                Neither is racist bullying confined to colour of skin. We've had complaints of non-Welsh and non-Scots children experiencing bullying in those countries. Other complaints have been about traveller children finding life difficult in school.
                
                Racist bullying is the only type of bullying that schools must record.
                
                There is a difference between racial discrimination and racismRacial discrimination means being treated differently to someone else because of your race, perhaps by being told you...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:30:19 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/racism/practical-help-with-racism.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/parents/racism/practical-help-with-racism.html Start keeping a diary of who said what and when, and who witnessed it.

                If your child is being called names relating to colour or religion or culture then the first step is to write to the head teacher to explain what has been going on and to ask for it to be stopped immediately.

                If English is not your first language and you have contacts in the community, then tell them what is happening at your child's school, and ask for help. Your child may not be the only one suffering this problem. Dealing with bullying can be upsetting and isolating. Tell us about it so that we can help you.

                Deadline

                The deadline for bringing a case to the county court is six months less one day from the behaviour you are complaining about, so if the school is unhelpful seek advice from the CRE immediately.
                When you shop online why...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:29:15 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/teachers-tv.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/schools/general/teachers-tv.html Bullying UK is sponsoring Teachers TV in Anti-Bullying Week (November 19-23). Among the programmes being shown, which you can also download free on www.teachers.tv/bullying are:
                

                Inspirations: The Scary Guy Does Primary

                The Scary Guy, tattooed and pierced from top-to-toe, certainly lives up to his name. However, if you put aside preconceptions based on his appearance, his mission is soon clear. His aim is to eliminate hate, violence and prejudice by engaging with children. On his trip to St Margaret's CE Primary School in Heywood, he talks about the importance of helping others, not judging people and being true to yourself.

                http://www.teachers.tv/video/23459

                What If? Gangs

                Using an imaginary case study, Mike Baker asks an expert panel how they would tackle escalating gang related incidents within schools.

                Among other questions he asks: How involved should teachers become with troublesome pupils? What is the best...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 06 Jun 2009 06:08:12 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/adults/general/advice-for-adults.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/adults/general/advice-for-adults.html Bullying UK gets many emails from former pupils in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and older who were bullied at school and who are still affected by their experiences.
                Bullying has often had a serious effect on their lives, affecting relationships and the ability to hold down jobs. Self confidence and self esteem are low and depression is often a factor.
                
                Unfortunately, there aren't any dedicated support groups for people in this situation but there is help available through the NHS.
                
                Doctors are generally extremely sympathetic, if not, then try another partner at the practice. These days there is counselling available which there wasn't years ago and that might be something the doctor would think worth trying. There can be quite a waiting list so it's best to explore that sooner rather than later.
                
                The other possibility is that you...]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 06 Jun 2009 06:00:30 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/adults/general/bullying-at-work.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/adults/general/bullying-at-work.html Workplace bullying is a vast problem which results in stress and days taken off work.
                The effects can be long lasting and lead to mental health issues, marital breakdown and a total loss of self worth.
                
                Bullying UK has vast experience in school bullying but workplace bullying is a very specialised topic of its own, covered by a variety of employment laws so we suggest if you're having problems at work you contact your union if you're a member, your doctor if your situation is affecting your health and our colleagues at ACAS .
                Bully Online is an excellent resource by our friend the late Tim Field. It's currently being run by his son Michael. The website contains a vast amount of practical information and advice.

                
                
                ]]> Liz Carnell Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:58:24 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/privacy-policy.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/privacy-policy.html Bullying UK is registered UK charity no 1120107  and our  address is Bullying UK, 7.02 Windsor House, Cornwall Road, Harrogate, HG1 2PW. The charity is also registered at Companies House as company 06128533.
                
                In this privacy policy references to "we", "us" and "our" are references to Bullying UK. References to "our website" or "the website" are to www.bullying.co.uk .
                
                Information we collect via the website may include: Any personal details you knowingly provide us with through forms and our email, such as name, address, telephone number etc.
                
                In order to effectively process credit or debit card transactions it may be necessary for the bank or card processing agency to verify your personal details for authorisation outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Such information will not be transferred out of the EEA for any other purpose.
                
                Your preferences and use of...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:53:42 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/faq.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/faq.html Please help us to help you by reading these frequently asked questions.

                 

                Q: I'm a pupil, what do you need to know to help me?
                A: It's helpful if you can tell us whether you are at a primary or secondary school and whether this is in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. We need to know how old you are, what sort of bullying is taking place, how long it's been going on for and whether your parents have tried to sort it out. It also helps if you can tell us what sort of anti-bullying policy your school is using.
                
                Q: How long does it take before I get a reply?
                A: We can usually reply within a couple of hours and if you email late at night you'll probably have a reply by the time you log on...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:52:40 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/awards.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/awards.html Under the former name of Bullying Online, the charity Bullying UK has won a large number of prestigious national awards over the last 10 years.

                Awards

                • TalkTalk Innovation Award 2008 - Click, Create & Print
                • Shortlisted: The Computing Awards
                • BT Seen and Heard Award 2007
                • Winner St George's Day Modern Hero Award 2006
                • Finalist Guardian Charity Awards 2006
                • Winner Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award 2005
                • Finalist Guardian Charity Awards 2005
                • Winner UK Net Awards 2004
                • Finalist Guardian Charity Awards 2004
                • Winner Big Issue Big Difference Award 2004
                • Finalist Broadband Britain Award 2003
                • Regional winner E-Commerce Award 2003
                • Winner BT eWell-Being Award 2003
                • Highly commended, Beacon Prize 2003
                • Regional winner E-Commerce Award 2002
                • Highly commended Camelot Oyster Awards 2002
                • Highly commended New Statesman/BT New Media Award 2001
                
                ]]> Administrator Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:50:57 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/about-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/about-bullying-uk.html Bullying UK is the new name for the award-winning charity Bullying Online which was founded in 1999 by journalist Liz Carnell from Harrogate and her son John, as a direct result of their experience of dealing with school bullying, which included taking successful legal action against an education authority.

                Liz has been researching and writing on school bullying issues for 14 years and identified the internet as the cheapest way to provide information and advice.
                

                The UK's leading anti-bullying charity In the last eight years the charity's website has become the number one resource for people using search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo to find reliable information on a variety of bullying issues.

                Since the charity was founded it has replied to more than 52,000 emails, 8,500+ of them last year. More than 500,000 people a year visit our website and in 2006-07 we distributed...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:50:02 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/snapshot-of-our-work.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/snapshot-of-our-work.html Bullying UK has been in operation for more than eight years. In 2007 the charity changed its name from Bullying Online to reflect the fact that we work all over the UK.

                
                

                Since 1999 we have answered more than 52,000 emails, many of them from parents and children in total despair. Well over 500,000 visitors come to our website every year information and advice.

                We are contacted by up to four suicidal pupils a day.
                

                To illustrate our work, here are examples of the things people told us over just one week. You may find them shocking, disturbing and upsetting. These are just a small proportion of our workload.
                

                What pupils told Bullying UK in one week:
                May 1: The bullying is getting worse. I got kneed in the stomach yesterday. I am really scared now and my brain...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:48:59 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/media-contacts.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/media-contacts.html Two of Bullying UK's volunteers are journalists and we are happy to help our media colleagues whenever possible.

                
                

                If you want to contact John Carnell our Chief Executive please email on help@bullying.co.uk . If your inquiry is urgent, call the media line 07946 610535.

                We have worked with a wide range media partners and have won many awards, we are always happy to talk about our life saving work and it's impact on young people and families across the UK

                 

                 

                ]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:47:59 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/tac/bullying-uk-terms-a-conditions.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/tac/bullying-uk-terms-a-conditions.html In these Terms and Conditions "we, our, us, Bullying UK refers to Bullying UK. Acceptance of terms This website is designed to be used in the UK. While some of the content may be useful elsewhere in the world, not all education systems operate in the same way as they do in the UK so users from outside the UK are advised that before acting they should take further advice based on their own country's education system.
                
                By accessing the content of www.bullying.co.uk ("the website") you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions set out herein and you accept our privacy policy. If you object to any of the terms and conditions set out in this agreement you should not use any of the products or services on the website and should leave immediately.

                You agree that you shall not...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:45:52 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/who-we-support.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/who-we-support.html Bullying UK helps a wide range of parents, pupils, teachers and youth organisations including:

                Young People
                

                • Young people who are suicidal now or have been in the past. We are contacted by up to four suicidal pupils a day. Others are self harming
                • Pupils who don't know where to turn for help who have already tried in vain to get teachers to stop the bullying
                • Pupils subjected to violence at school
                • Pupils taunted and called names
                • Young people suffering hi-tech bullying like text abuse and happy slapping, having abuse posted about them on the internet
                • Young people who have no friends and are being excluded from friendships by bullies
                • Pupils who have complained to the school but the bullying continues
                • Young people suffering health problems such as stress and anxiety and bedwetting as a result of bullying
                • Young people receiving psychiatric and psychological care as a...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:43:40 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/contact/contact-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/contact/contact-bullying-uk.html You're welcome to contact Bullying UK

                  If you need help or advice please email help@bullying.co.uk in confidence.
                  If you would like to support our work by making a donation, taking part in an event or if you're a corporate supporter or agency and would like to explore a project please email supporters@bullying.co.uk

                  If you want to contact us by post:

                  Bullying UK
                  702 Windsor House
                  Cornwall Road
                  Harrogate
                  HG1 2PW

                  If you wish to make a donation by post please send a cheque or postal order made payable to Bullying UK
                  
                  ]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:42:35 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/beat-bullying-with-bullying-uk.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/beat-bullying-with-bullying-uk.html Beat bullying with Bullying UK, join our campaigns, support our work and make use of our free resources.

                  Beat bullying, join U.A.B.

                  You can join the Unite Against Bullying campaign by displaying our widget on your social network page or blog and you can add your site to our supporters page and show everyone you're helping to beat bullying by being united against it.

                  Fundraise for Bullying UK

                  Visit our donation pages and learn how you and your friends can raise money for Bullying UK and involve your community in beating bullying together, we provide packs to help make your event fun and to promote your event to your community.

                  If you're a daredevil or fancy a challenge why not consider taking part in a trek or a skydive and get sponsored in aid of Bullying UK, as with all events...]]> Administrator Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:41:47 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/the-team.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/general/the-team.html Bullying UK has a large number of friends who raise funds and carry out research.
                  The charity is run by a board of three trustees and we currently have two paid employees .

                  John Carnell - Founder and Chief Excutive, John is the technical expertise and brains behind the charity's hi-tech projects. 
                  

                  After spending a number of years working in the IT industry creating ideas for other people, he felt it was time the charity got some of them. John regularly appears on national TV & radio talking about Bullying UK's work.

                  Liz Carnell FRSA  - Director and co-founder Liz, a former member of the Samaritans, is a journalist on the Yorkshire Evening Post in Leeds. A journalist for 34 years, she is the author of all the website content and is the public face of Bullying...]]> Administrator Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:40:07 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/tac/bullying-uk-copyright.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/about/tac/bullying-uk-copyright.html Bullying UK has archived copies of all previous versions of our website which was launched in 1999 and we always pursue breaches of copyright.
                  Material can be downloaded by individual teachers, youth leaders and pupils for use in class and by parents for their own use in resolving individual bullying problems but we do not permit our content, including any printed material like leaflets, to be used on other websites, in any other printed form or on any other electronic media like DVDs, videos or films.
                  
                  The content of this website is an asset of the charity, our copyright warning notices are prominently displayed on every page and if you choose to breach our copyright you are agreeing that you will pay our invoice for a minimum of £1,500 and that you will have to remove our content.

                  In the past we have successfully...]]> BullyingUK Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:39:11 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/fundraise/thanks-for-your-donations.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/fundraise/thanks-for-your-donations.html Many kind people have donated to Bullying UK in the last year including:
                  

                  • £200,000 bequest from the estate of the late Robert Brown
                  • £4,000+ bequests and donations from the family and friends of Ben Vodden
                  • £1,000 bequest from the estate of the late Tim Field of Bully Online
                  • £2,500 from The News of the World
                  • £1,000 from The Daily Mirror
                  • £1,000+ from Mrs Janet McKenna and students from Johnson's Family Karate Club in Harrogate
                  • £1,000+ bequests and numerous fundraising events from the family and colleagues of Joanne Fletcher from Bradford
                  • £1,200 from Ben Smith from Lincoln
                  • Bristol Intl Comic Expo
                  • Louisa Reiter
                  • Glasgoed Charity Challenge
                  • Craven College
                  • PC Gary Lewis, North Yorkshire Police
                  • Wensleydale Ladies Circle
                  • Monica Gabb through sales of her book
                  • Nicky Allitt from Leeds
                  • Stuart Wilks from Essex
                  • Chris Oxley from Leeds who ran the London marathon
                  • Ashville College Junior School, Harrogate
                  • The Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School, Reading
                  • Kalsec, Suffolk...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:07:36 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/fundraise/fundraising-ideas.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/fundraise/fundraising-ideas.html Bullying UK is the UK's leading anti-bullying charity and we need your fundraising ideas and support to help us meet demand for our work. 
                    Charity fundraising can be great fun so we invite you and your friends at school or work to join in the fun and come fundraise for us We have come up with a few ideas of our own below but we welcome more new and exciting fundraising ideas.

                    If you've got lots of fundraising ideas yourself that's great or there are lots of ideas below. We have come up with a few ideas of our own below but we welcome more new and exciting fundraising ideas.

                    We can send you a sponsorship form if you email us on help@bullying.co.uk or you can donate directly to support our work
                    

                    Some great charity fundraising ideas:

                    Non-uniform day: Always popular with pupils who can...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:04:41 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/volunteer/its-easy-to-volunteer.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/volunteer/its-easy-to-volunteer.html

                    It's easy to become a volunteer for Bullying UK and there are lots of things you can do to support us.
                    
                    Many involve just spreading knowledge of our award winning service, or you might like to volunteer your time to help us with an event or fundraising.

                    Fundraising:

                    You can contact us to put together your own fundraising event to benefit Bullying UK or take part in an event already organised by one of our partners. We can even provide Bullying UK merchandise to make your event official and to add a splash of colour.
                    This includes leaflets, posters, T-shirts, balloons, stickers and badges and even teddy bears. Head over to our fundraising section for more information and to sign up.

                    Get Social:

                    Bullying UK has a page on all the most popular social network and life streaming sites. Visit Be Social and see where you can...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:01:56 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/corporate-support/corporate-supporters.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/corporate-support/corporate-supporters.html Bullying UK is a small charity with a huge workload and we're really grateful to all our supporters, both corporate and personal for their generosity. If you would like to talk to us about corporate sponsorship please email us on help@bullying.co.uk or phone 07946 610535.
                    

                    Simplyhealth

                    Simplyhealth operate a number of non-profit organisations to help people with medical bills, including the cost of optical and dental treatment.

                    They run the Hospital Saving Association (HSA) and Leeds Hospital Fund (LHF). They contacted us to see how they could support any of our new projects and we are delighted that they have made a significant £50,000 donation to our work that will allow us to break the mould on the way charities deliver help and support.
                    

                    Royal Mail

                    Our friends at Royal Mail funded The National Bullying Survey 2006, thanks to chief executive Adam Crozier.

                    Royal Mail understood the effect bullying...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:22:02 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/corporate-support/corporate-donations.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/corporate-support/corporate-donations.html By supporting Bullying UK you will directly help us to provide support and advice today to the thousands of victims of bullying in the UK.

                    The help provided by corporate donors is essential to the running of the valuable services offered by the charity. Increasingly companies are looking at how they can assist the communities they exist in, charitable donations are one such way.
                    
                    Donations and sponsorship can provide lasting and meaningful results for not just the charity and those it helps but also the donor company. Benefits include improved public perception of your company and its place in the community. By demonstrating genuine empathy you can set your business apart, leading to further benefits such as improved staff retention, increased public profile and more satisfied investors.
                    

                    Contact our team today by email or phone us on 07946 610535.
                    

                    As a corporate partner of Bullying UK, we will ensure that you are kept updated on the value...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:20:47 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/be-social/connect-on-myspace.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/be-social/connect-on-myspace.html Bullying UK has a very cool Myspace profile

                    Created using Wix , it provides a much nicer introduction to our Myspace profile. Connect with over 11,000 other supporters of Bullying UK on Myspace.

                    Don't forget to stay safe. Visit our cybersafety section if you need a reminder of the rules of cybersafety.
                    

                    Click here for our Myspace page

                    
                    

                    
                    

                    ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:20:00 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/be-social/connect-on-facebook.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/support-us/be-social/connect-on-facebook.html Bullying UK has a number of supporter points on Facebook

                    From our Unite Against Bullying Group to the Bullying UK fan page, there are lots of ways you can show your support of our work on your Facebook page. Don't forget to stay safe. Visit our cybersafety section if you need a reminder of the rules of cybersafety.

                    • Bullying UK's Cause
                    • Bullying UK's Fan Page
                    • Unite Against Bullying Group
                    • Unite Against Bullying Widget

                    
                    

                    
                    

                    ]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:17:53 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/weapons-can-kill.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/advice/weapons-can-kill.html

                    If you're ever tempted to take a weapon into school, to settle a score, or to carry one on the street for protection, then DON'T.

                    Carrying an offensive weapon is a crime and if you are caught with it, even if you have it in your pocket, you are likely to end up in youth court and expelled from school. An offensive weapon isn't just a knife, it could also be something you use in maths at school, like a compass. Using a weapon on someone else is an assault.

                    But worse, fighting someone using a knife, perhaps to frighten them, can go tragically wrong. People DIE in fights where knives are used.

                    If you take someone on in this way, perhaps for revenge, because they've upset you, you run the risk of hurting them and getting hurt yourself. If you're feeling angry because someone has treated...]]> Liz Carnell Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:03:37 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/teachers-results.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/teachers-results.html A total of 323 teachers took part in the survey. 43% worked in secondary schools while 33% worked in primary/infants schools, 6% in middle schools, 5% at sixth form college, 4% in special schools and 4% in nursery schools. 44% of them had been a teacher for more than 10 years and 69% were heads of year.

                    83% said they hadn't seen bullying at their school which may mean that increased teacher supervision cuts down bullying. Where teachers took action 56% of them said the bullying stopped.

                    73% reported complaints from parents and pupils and where teachers took the issue up with the bully's parents 19% found them unpleasant. 38% of teachers taking the survey said they had been assaulted by a pupil.

                    Peer support was the most used anti-bullying method 21% followed by counselling 17%, circle time 16%, no particular method 13%, restorative justice 8% and no-blame 8%.

                    43%...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:43:16 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/pupils-results.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/pupils-results.html Of 4,772 pupils who completed the survey, 69% complained they had been bullied with each bullied pupil saying they had suffered an average of six different types of bullying at school.

                    Name calling was the biggest problem and 56% of abusive remarks referred to weight and appearance, while more than 50% of bullied pupils said they were physically hurt and 34% of those needed to see a doctor/hospital. A total of 3% of attacks had involved a weapon.

                    Cyber bullying was an issue for 7% of young people who reported suffering internet abuse, receiving abusive emails or instant messaging and phone bullying by text message.

                    Bullying on the walk to and from school upset 4% and problems on the bus affected 2%.

                    Homophobic bullying victims said that more than 28% of them had suffered violent attacks and where racist bullying had occurred 43% of pupils had suffered violence.

                    Where bullying happened

                    Most bullying happened in...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:42:16 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/parents-results.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/parents-results.html A total of 2,160 parents took the survey and 87% of them said their child had been bullied in the last 12 months and 77% reported their child was bullied more than five times.

                    Each victim was subject to an average of four different types of bullying and most name calling related to physical appearance.

                    More than 71% of parents said their child had been physically hurt by a bully and 30% of those needed to see a doctor. Parents said that more than 40% of racist bullying involved violent attacks.

                    More than 26% of parents said their bullied children had special needs and of those, 51% were statemented or receiving extra help.

                    A total of 60% said their children had taken time off school due to bullying. 65% of parents had kept their child at home for safety reasons and 63% of those children had missed more than five days at school.

                    72%...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:41:30 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/adults-results.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/adults-results.html We receive many complaints from adults who were bullied as children and who are still suffering the effects.

                    A total of 1,323 adults who said they had been bullied at school took part in the survey. The largest number 36% were aged 21-30 and we had 2% of replies from people aged over 60.

                    78% of the adults had been bullied at school more than five times.

                    There are clearly long term effects on school bullying victims when 20% reported loss of confidence after their ordeal ended, 13% said it affected relationships, and 7% said it affected their job prospects. 9% said they had been suicidal and 8% said they had received medical treatment for mental health problems.

                    If you need help from Bullying UK email us here

                    ]]> Liz Carnell Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:40:09 +0000 http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/national-bullying-survey-2006.html http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/young-people/the-national-survey/national-bullying-survey-2006.html The National Bullying Survey 2006, carried out by the charity Bullying UK under its former name of Bullying Online, revealed pupils in UK schools were suffering extreme misery at the hands of classroom bullies.

                    And teachers across the UK said they wanted more training to deal with the problem.

                    Bullying UK surveyed 8,574 children, parents, teachers and adults in the first six months of 2006 in the largest ever investigation into school bullying in the UK. The survey was widely publicised on national TV, radio and in newspapers as well as in young people's magazines and on youth, charity, police and council websites.

                    Scandalous situation

                    "We reply to thousands of emails a year so we knew the problem was a big one, but even so we were shocked by what we found out," said director Liz Carnell. "This is a scandalous situation and it needs tough measures to sort it out.

                    "If assaults were...]]> BullyingUK Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:38:26 +0000