One in 10 children skipping school because of bullying

MORE than one in 10 children say they have missed school due to bullying, a poll found.

It suggests that many young people take action to avoid bullies, such as changing their route to and from school, not spending time with friends and avoiding social media. The Antibullying Alliance, which commissioned the survey, said everyone had a part to play in reducing bullying.

The poll, which questioned more than 1,000 secondary school children, found that almost one in three (31 per cent) had been bullied “a bit” with a further 4 per cent saying they had been bullied “a lot”. A total of 11 per cent said they had missed school due to bullying.

The Anti-bullying Alliance, which is publishing the findings ahead of Antibullying Week, which starts on Monday, said it has published a report in partnership with O2 setting out young people’s recommendations to address bullying. These include schools and education settings recording how much bullying is taking place, and know “hotspots” where it happens.

Martha Evans, director of the Antibullying Alliance, said: “We clearly have a problem. Everyone has a part to play in reducing and stemming the impact of bullying.”