CHILDLINE and its counsellors offer support to young people whenever they need it, whatever they are going through.

Last week Childline and the NSPCC supported the Anti-Bullying Alliance’s Anti-Bullying Week. The theme was ‘Choose Respect’, highlighting ways to prevent and respond to bullying as well as encouraging a national conversation about championing kindness as a sign of strength, not weakness.

In 2023/24, Childline delivered almost 8,000 counselling sessions to young people concerned about bullying. Most related to bullying in person, but more than 900 involved online bullying. Bullying takes on many different forms and can happen anywhere including in school, at home or online. One 13-year-old girl told counsellors: “My bully had been threatening to beat me up for weeks. The girl cornered me and shoved my head into a wall. She did it so hard that it gave me a nosebleed. I’m scared it’s going to get worse.”

An 11-year-old boy said his experience included online and in-person bullying: “We were playing a game online and when I won my friend got really angry and told me to kill myself. Since then, at school that’s all he’ll say to me or something else horrible. It’s making school really lonely for me.”

A 12-year-old girl said her friends had set up a group chat just to talk about her. She said: “One of them sent me screenshots making fun of how I look. I don’t get why they want to upset me.”

It’s important that campaigns, such as Anti-Bullying Week, exist so we can continue the conversation of the effects this type of behaviour can have on children. It can make young people feel lonely, afraid and impact their wellbeing. The world has changed; bullying doesn’t stop at the playground gates anymore. Social media and online gaming leaves young people vulnerable to bullying at home.

More than 800 adults contacted the NSPCC Helpline between April 2023 and March 2024 with concerns about bullying. One parent said: “My daughter is being bullied at school and having panic attacks. My husband thinks we should encourage her to push through it, but I think she needs more support. What can we do?” It’s vital that we’re mindful of signs a child might display if they’re being bullied. They might not want to go to school or become anxious if you go near their phone or tablet. They might appear withdrawn, upset or angry, have problems sleeping or eating, and spend more or less time online than normal. Signs of physical bullying could include bruises or other injuries, damaged belongings, a change in school performance, losing confidence, even bullying others.

If you’re worried your child is being bullied, tell them they can speak to you. Show them how to report or block online messages. And remind them it’s never their fault. Childline counsellors are here 24/7 on the phone and online: childline.org.uk