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Parenting on Female First
The landmark study involving more than 10,000 secondary school pupils shows that 30,000 fewer children in England now face the fear of bullying compared to 2005. Robbery between pupils has halved, last year just 1% of children reported being robbed.
The new figures come as part of the Government's continued drive to deliver an excellent education for every child and make sure teachers have the tools they need to tackle bullying and violence in schools.
Edward Timpson, Children and Families Minister "No child should face the fear of bullying - whether through violence, cyberbullying or name-calling. While the situation is improving, there is no place for bullying of any kind in our schools, and we are determined to help schools continue to tackle this issue so that all children can fulfil their potential."
A 2014 report by Stonewall also showed that homophobic bullying has fallen, with the number of secondary school teachers who say their pupils are often or very often the victim of homophobic bullying has almost halved since 2009. To further tackle this, the Government has announced a £2 million fund for projects to address homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools.
Top tips for parents worried about bullying, from the Department for Education and Anti Bullying Alliance
If your child is being bullied don't panic. Explain to your child that the bullying is not their fault and together you will sort this out.
Bullying is never acceptable; and should always be taken seriously. It is never your child's fault if they've been bullied.
Try and establish the facts. It can be helpful to keep a diary of events. If the bullying is online, save or copy images and text.
Find out what your child wants to happen. Help to identify steps you can take; and the skills they have to help sort out the situation. Make sure you always keep them informed about any actions you decide to take.
You may be tempted to tell your child to retaliate but this can have unpredictable results. Your child might get into trouble or get even more hurt. Rather - role play non-violent ways they can respond to children that are bullying them (e.g. 'I don't like it when you say that to me / do that to me. Stop.'); show them how to block or unfriend people if the bullying is online and help them identify other friends or adults that can support them.
Encourage your child to get involved in activities that build their confidence and esteem, and help them to form friendships outside of school (or wherever the bullying is taking place).
What are schools doing about bullying? The Department for Education provides funding for schools to develop anti-bullying strategies and projects. These include training pupils to become anti-bullying ambassadors and specialised training focusing on tackling bullying among young people with SEN and/or disabilities.
Teacher's powers have been strengthened and they have the freedom to search for and delete inappropriate images from phones and devices. They are also able to discipline and investigate cases of bullying outside of the school gates.
Schools have policies in place to deal with bullying so, when incidents do occur, they are dealt with quickly. They are encouraged to prevent bullying by foreseeing issues that may cause conflict and develop plans to prevent bullying happening in the first place.
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