Bullying Advice

Recently, there has been a lot of publicity in the national newspapers about the problem of bullying in our schools.

At KHS, we want to make certain that bullying is not tolerated. We have trained a group of sixth form students as PALS to act as confidants to younger pupils and to help them to cope successfully with life in a busy comprehensive school.

Bullying will not be tolerated at KHS and we outline below some information and advice about bullying, which has been provided by Childline:

What is bullying?

Bullying can mean different things. These are some ways children and young people have described bullying:

Being called names
Being teased
Being pushed or pulled about
Being hit or attacked
Having your bag and possessions taken and thrown about
Having rumours spread about you
Being ignored and left out
Being forced to hand over money or possessions
Being attacked because of your religion

What does it feel like to be bullied?

Bullying hurts. It makes you scared and upset. It can make you so worried that you can't work well at school. Some children have told Childline that it makes you feel that you are no good, that there is something wrong with you. Bullies can make you feel that it's your fault

What do bullies do it?

They have their own problems—they may feel upset or angry or feel that they don't fit in—perhaps they have problems at home?
Maybe they get bullied themselves, perhaps by someone in their own family or other adults?
They're scared of getting picked on so they do it first
They want to show off and seem tough
Many don't like themselves and so take it out on someone else.

How to stop Bullying?

If you are being bullied, you can do something about it.

You can make a difference!

TELL, TELL, TELL
Practise what you want to say
Keep a note or diary of what is happening
Don't give up
Ask your parents to visit school
Talk over what to do with a friend, your mum or dad or someone you trust
Remember that teachers have to listen carefully when a child tells them about being bullied

Helping a Friend

Maybe you're not being bullied, but you know someone who is.

Don't ignore bullying. You can help. Don't let bullies get away thinking that no one will do anything.

Let a teacher or adult know what is happening
Refuse to join in
Try to be a friend to the person being bullied