Nearly a third of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reported being bullied face-to-face frequently, according to newly published survey findings.
It found that 29 per cent of pupils with SEND and a similar proportion of pupils receiving free school meals (28 per cent) reported being bullied frequently “in recent weeks” before taking part in the research.
The survey, conducted by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and analysed by Goldsmiths, University of London, reveals that almost a quarter of pupils (23 per cent) between the ages of 4 to 18 said that they had been bullied frequently in recent weeks.
More than 65,000 pupils were surveyed by the Anti-Bullying Alliance between November 2022 and February 2023.
The Anti-Bullying Alliance runs the United Against Bullying programme, which is a Department for Education-funded, free whole-school anti-bullying programme.
In a separate survey of nearly 900 teachers from across the UK also published today by Nottingham Trent University and the Anti-Bullying Alliance, more than one in four teachers (26 per cent) reported that face-to-face banter in schools is a serious problem.
The vast majority (84 per cent) of respondents said that they received no training on how to deal with banter.
And 62 per cent of the teachers agreed that there is a fine and subjective line of acceptability between banter and bullying.
Anti-bullying lessons
Last year, a report from the Diversity Role Models charity - which receives funding from the DfE to tackle bullying - reported that teachers “lack time” to deliver anti-bullying lessons
The report called on the government to do more to “allow teachers the time to address the issues they see in their schools”.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that “policing the fine line between banter and bullying can be difficult”.
Mr Barton said that while schools have in place a range of policies and procedures, it is “not just a job for schools”.
He added: “The fact that a quarter of children in a separate survey said they were being frequently bullied is a sobering statistic, which reminds us that this is an ongoing battle and that there is more work to be done.”
‘Empower educators to support children’
Martha Evans, director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said that it was important to “empower educators with the confidence to support children”.
David Johnston, minister for children, families and wellbeing, said that the government is “committed to working with schools to create good behaviour cultures and to improve approaches to tackling bullying”.
He added: “We’ve created behaviour hubs across the country, including teaching respect and inclusivity as part of the relationships, health and sex education curriculum and provided more than £3 million of funding to anti-bullying organisations to support their vital work.”
