BEATING THE BULLY by Jerome Monohan

It causes misery, it wrecks lives, it can even lead to suicide. Jerome Monahan on the horror of bullying Tuesday March 28, 2000 Thousands of children in Britain are suffering the misery of being bullied. Between 1998 and 1999 the national charity Childline received 22,332 calls from children who were being picked on. Many put up with the torture, but some find it too awful to bear. Between 10 and 14 cases of childhood suicide occur every year as a direct result of bullying. What is bullying? Most bullying means repeated acts of intimidation. It is deliberately carried out. It happens when a person or a group tries to dominate others who they consider weaker. It always causes the victims pain. The charity Kidscape says bullying can be physical, verbal, emotional, racist or sexual. Does it always include violence? No. A recent survey of 2,300 six- to nine-year-olds found the most common bullying was name-calling. Who are the bullies? Bullies are usually people with problems themselves. They may feel inadequate or scared and use bullying as a cover. The consequences for bullies who receive no help can be serious. According to research conducted by Professor Dan Olweus, children who bully are four times as likely to become young offenders with criminal records when they leave school. Over the past 15 years bullying by girls has increased. Many reasons for this have been suggested, including even the way some styles of behaviour are promoted by pop groups. Who are the bullied? Bullies are quick to spot characteristics that might mark someone as being different from the crowd. How the victim behaves is crucial. If the bully gets away with the first act, he or she is likely to continue. Is being violent back the answer? There is no guarantee that meeting violence with violence will solve anything. It may result in the victim being excluded from school or even seriously injured. What are the first things that someone being bullied should do? Tell an adult. No one deserves to be bullied and speaking about it should not make the situation worse. In a recent survey, seven out of eight victims of bullying felt that speaking out made things better. What protection do pupils have a right to expect while at school? Schools have a "duty of care" for pupils. This means they must do all they can to protect students from harm. Since September 1999, the law requires schools to draw up an anti-bullying policy. What should schools do to solve the problem of bullying? The best thing is to stop bullying before it starts. Pupils need to discuss the subject and know how to seek help. Young people need to be taught how to solve conflicts without being aggressive. In some schools students are trained to be "peer mediators" - stepping in to support fellow pupils in difficulties. Is bullying against the law? If a bully hurts someone physically, they are guilty of assault. The age at which a person in England is considered to be capable of responsibility for a criminal act has recently been reduced to 10. In Scotland, it is eight. There are also laws that protect people from harassment. What are the most common false ideas about bullying? "I was bullied at school and it didn't do me any harm." "You need to learn how to stand up for yourself." "Sticks and stones may break your bones but names can never hurt you." Myths like these are unhelpful because they give some adults an excuse not to take the matter seriously and make victims feel that they should put up with bullying. Why is bullying such a serious matter? Anything that can cause young people to kill themselves must be taken seriously. For those who suffer in silence, the effects of bullying can affect the rest of their lives. A survey by Kidscape in 1998 among 1,000 adults showed that many felt their school days had been stolen from them by bullies and that they had been haunted by feelings of anxiety and bitterness ever since. One 34-year-old woman told the researchers: "If I had enjoyed school I might have bloomed into a more confident person. It makes me feel I have wasted my life being too careful and nervous to succeed." o Kidscape 0207 730 3300 o Childline 0800 1111 o Childline Scotland has a dedicated bullying line 0800 441111 o Anti-Bullying Campaign 0207 378 1446 o First Edition is a current affairs series for schools on C4 presented this week by Jon Snow and produced in association with Guardian Education. It is transmitted every Tuesday morning at 11am and repeated on Wednesday at 11am.

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