Bullying can mean anything from name-calling and threatening phone calls to being beaten up, constantly left out or ignored. It can happen to anyone, young or old, and anywhere. Is it happening to you or someone you know? Or are you bullying someone?
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.
Everyone has human rights. But young people under 18 also have their own set of rights, called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Young people are also protected under the UK Human Rights Act 1998.
The UNCRC says you have the right to be protected from any form of discrimination, and from being abused and neglected. You also have the right to be listened to and have a say in decisions that affect you. Adults making decisions about you should always consider what's best for you.
By signing the UNCRC the UK Government has agreed to respect all of these rights and more. The UN makes regular checks to make sure it sticks to its promises.
It's everyone's responsibility to respect your rights. That also means you've got a responsibility to respect other people's rights. For instance, a bystander to bullying has a responsibility to either say something to the people who are doing the bullying, or talk to an adult they trust about it.
Know your rights
They may not feel they can tell school friends or a teacher, and most children have few, if any, friends outside their school. Bullied children may also find it difficult to talk to parents and family about the situation.
This may be because they fear being branded a tale-tell. Or perhaps they fear that their concerns will either not be taken seriously or will cause anxiety to those they care about. Bullied children may also worry that the bully may be confronted against their wishes, and that the situation may worsen.
So it may feel as if there is no one to turn to.
Young people who have part- or full-time jobs may experience bullying at work. It's very common - a third of people who quit their jobs do it because of bullying. Workplace bullying often involves insulting or humiliating someone and attacking the way they act or do their job. Workplace bullies often behave unpredictably and unfairly and abuse their power or position. If you feel unfairly treated or discriminated against at work, you don't have to take it.
You have the right to be protected from discrimination.
You’re a bully if you do any of these things to someone else:
You call them names
You spread rumors about them
You make up stories to get them into trouble
You take their friends away leaving them on their own
You tell other people not to be friends with them
You hit them, kick them, trip them up or push them around
You make remarks about their culture, religion or colour
You make remarks about their looks or weight
You make remarks about their disability or medical condition
You don’t choose them to be your partner in class
You leave them out when you’re choosing a games team
You tell them you’re busy and then go off to enjoy yourself with other people
You take away their possessions or demand money from them
You damage their property
You hide their books or bag
You make jokes about them when you can see they’re upset
You send them nasty text messages or make silent calls on their phone
You indulge in horseplay when you know they are not enjoying it
You make threats about nasty things that will happen to them
You’re going along with the crowd who are doing any of these things
Just like anyone can be bullied, anyone can bully others. If what you say makes people upset or uncomfortable, you could be bullying them. Think about the pain that it can cause - do you really mean to hurt or upset other people? Do you realize when, why and how you're doing it?
Last year a group of students put together a survey of bullying and then sent it to a few of the classes around the school building.