If you are being bullied, or if you are worried about someone else who is being bullied, the most important thing to remember is to talk to someone you trust.

Read the leaflets called "Let's Stop Bullying - Advice for Children", "Let's Stop Bullying - Advice for Young People" and the leaflet from ChildLine, available here.

If you live in Scotland and you cannot find someone to talk to, you can phone the ChildLine Bullying Line on 0800 44 1111

This is a free phone service available from Monday to Friday from 3.30pm to 10pm and weekends 2pm - 8pm.

If you live outside Scotland, or if you are worried about something else apart from bullying, you can phone ChildLine on 0800 1111

Don't hide what is happening from the adults you trust. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when you are in trouble.

• Nobody has the right to hurt other people by hitting them, calling then names or doing anything which is intended to be hurtful.
• Bullying is wrong whatever the age of the person who is doing the bullying. If an adult is bullying you or trying to make you do something you think is wrong you must talk to somebody you trust about this at once. If there is nobody you trust, phone ChildLine.

You can help other people who are being bullied. You could encourage them to talk to an adult, or you could offer to talk to an adult on their behalf. You might be able to let bullies know that you do not like what they are doing and that you are determined to see that they stop.

You can also help by taking part in your school's anti-bullying activities. Here is a list of some of the ways in which teachers and pupils in Scottish schools are dealing with bullying:

• Bully boxes have been set up in some schools. Young people can put notes in these if they are too worried to speak openly about bullying. If your school has boxes like these use them sensibly. Always make sure that anything you write about has really happened.
• Be a buddy to a younger pupil. Older pupils can sometimes volunteer to help new pupils coming into their school by getting to know them and by helping them with any problems
• Special campaigns, such as a "no-bullying day" can help.
• Some schools have student or pupil councils. You can ask the council to discuss bullying, even if you are not a member.
• Counselling is a special way of talking to someone. People who are being bullied, or who are bullying others, can be helped by counselling, but only if the counsellor (usually an adult) has had training.
• Some schools have set up peer counselling schemes where young people volunteer to learn how to help other young people.
• Mediation - some schools have introduced schemes where two people who disagree about something agree that a third person, who may be either an adult of another young person, helps to find a solution to a problem. This is helpful in many situations, but not in all cases of bullying. A bully may refuse to take part because he or she has no interest in ending the bullying. A victim may feel that a negotiated solution is not fair when it is the other person who is entirely in the wrong.
• Taking part in plays and other drama activities can help people to understand what it feels like to be bullied and to think about what they can do to stop it.
• Peer Support is an idea, developed in Australia, in which older students volunteer to discuss things like bullying, friendship or drugs with groups of younger pupils.

If young people leave it all to adults, the problem will never go away. You can help to make your school a better place for everyone, and learn some useful skills at the same time, by joining in with activities like those listed above.