What does it feel like to be bullied?

Key statement

It is widely accepted that bullying causes distress, at times extreme. Some studies have gathered information about the emotions children experience when they are being bullied.

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Comment

These studies help us to understand the range of emotions that may be experienced by a bullied child. At one end of the spectrum it is upsetting for a short time. At the other end it can drive a child to contemplate suicide. In between are various feelings and reactions, but a major concern for teachers and parents is that the strength of these feelings can have a serious effect on learning. For example, it is difficult to concentrate on what a teacher is saying when you are being subjected to glances - glances which are imperceptible to the teacher but which say to you, 'you may think you are safe here in the classroom but just wait until playtime…'

A number of children have described how bullying has made them feel in letters to our 'bully box'.
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Do you want to find out more?

More 1 - personal accounts
More 2 - Australian survey
More 3 - study in Malta
More 4 - verbal and psychological bullying
More 5 - English survey
More 6 - Spanish survey
More 1 - 6 on one page!
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