About bullying

Bullying is when one person intimidates or excludes another with the intention of being hurtful. It can include many different types of behavior, including verbal and physical violence.

A child experiencing bullying can feel upset, sad and alone. If it is taking place at school, they may try to avoid school by making excuses, or may feel so anxious they actually become physically ill. Bullying can cause depression, self-injury and eating problems. Very often the victims are intimidated by the bullies into keeping it secret.

Children who bully others may be doing it for a variety of reasons but often the root cause will be their own unhappiness or feelings of powerlessness.

They may be experiencing bullying at home or in another situation, or may be feeling neglected or rejected and using the bullying to make up for these feelings.