More than 1 in 10 children say they have missed school due to bullying, according to a poll.
The poll, commissioned by the Anti-Bullying Alliance ahead of Anti-Bullying Week (Monday 11th November - Friday 15th November 2019), questioned more than 1000 secondary school children.
The poll found that found that almost one in three (31%) said they had been bullied "a bit" with a further 4% saying they had been bullied "a lot".
A total of 11% said they had missed school due to bullying. Results of the poll also suggests that many young people take action to avoid bullies, such as changing their route to and from school (14%), not spending time with friends (19%) and avoiding social media (19%).
When asked who they thought had the power to reduce bullying of children and young people, 74% of people said schools and other educational settings; children also said parents and carers (64%) as well as children and young people (56%).
The Anti-Bullying Alliance, in collaboration with O2, has published a report highlighting young people's recommendations to address bullying.
Recommendations include: schools and education settings recording how much bullying is taking place, as well as the "hot spots" where it is likely to happen; it's also recommended that parents and carers attempt to understand the technology their children use.
Martha Evans, director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said: "If 1 in 10 children have reported missing school because of bullying, we clearly have a problem.
"To turn this around, it's important to bear in mind that everyone has a part to play in reducing and stemming the impact of bullying."
If you're being bullied or know someone who is, there are several helplines on the anti-bullying alliance website for you to refer to.
