Cyber bullying on the increase due to lockdown, according to experts
This week (16-20 Nov) marks the start of the Anti-Bullying Alliance's annual campaign, to shine a light on the issue and raise awareness.
The campaign is working with the theme "United Against Bullying, inspired by the positive power that society can have when coming together to tackle a common challenge."
And this year the Anti-Bullying Alliance says the challenges have never been bigger. The charity says that "2020 has put huge pressure on young people, and more and more teens are experiencing greater isolation than ever before, tasked with a new way of living, schooling and a greater uncertainty for the future."
Alongside that, as more and more young people move everything they do online, reports show that cyber bullying is on the increase.
Martha Evans, the leader of the Anti-Bullying Alliance told ITV Border: "What we've seen is that for the last six months, since the pandemic started really, one in three children say they've been bullied, and that was about the same as the previous year but the way that it's happened has changed slightly. What we're seeing is slightly more bullying online. The key message we want to get across is that bullying is still a significant issue in children's lives"
According to a YouGov poll, one fifth of students will experience bullying every year.
24% of children and young people will experience some form of cyberbullying, with 80% of these young people also experiencing face to face bullying.
1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England, with 25% stating school and social pressures as the main cause.
50% of schools are closed due to COVID, with 5% of 83M British children having lost significant classroom time, calling to question the quality of education in these times.
Mental health charity Mind has published data indicating a 25% increase in the number ofcancelled or postponed appointments for young people accessing Child and AdolescentMental Health Services.
Help and support if you, or someone you know, is the victim of bullying:
National bullying helpline: 0300 323 0169 or 0845 22 55 787
NSPCC advice for parents and carers to help keep children safe
Childline advice and information about dealing with bullying