Relationships

Social life

What is bullying?

What you need to know

Bullying is when someone repeatedly says hurtful things or physically hurts someone else.

No one deserves to be bullied or harassed but it could happen to any of us and in some shape and form it probably has happened to most of us and it isn't nice. It definitely isn't something to be ashamed of and the only people who are in the wrong, who should be ashamed of themselves, are the bullies.

What you can do

If you think that you or someone you know is being bullied there are lots of things you can do to help.

The best thing to do is to tell someone as soon as possible. This could be anybody that you trust and can confide in such as a friend, teacher, parent or carer
If you find it difficult speaking to someone you know about it you could try speaking to a Connexions Direct adviser or a ChildLine or NSPCC counsellor. Sometimes it's easier to speak to a stranger
You could try and write everything down in a diary. Try writing about what happened, when it happened and how you felt about it. A written record can make it easier to prove what's been going on