School run bullying in UK goes unreported – research

Nearly half of all 11- to 16-year-olds see bullying on the way to or from school, according to new research.

Around 43 per cent of those surveyed said they saw bullying on the school run but only half of those reported it, a study by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) found.

The research found that 47 per cent of those who witnessed bullying did not report it, with 50 per cent of 13- to 16-year-olds failing to do so.

Of the young people who did not report bullying incidents, 44 per cent said it was none of their business and 10 per cent said they did not know who to tell.

ABA chairman Ross Hendry said: “This research shows us that a significant number of children and young people in England are suffering from bullying on their school journey.

“Whether they travel by bus, car, public transport of if they walk to school we need to make sure they are protected. It’s of great concern that nearly half of young people who see others being bullied do not report it and that such a large proportion don’t think its any of their business to do so.

The report was released as Beatbullying, a separate anti-bullying charity, prepared to launch a “digital demonstration” in support of children’s rights.

More than 750,000 people, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Alesha Dixon and JLS, have created virtual avatars that were to “march” across around 60 partner websites against bullying.

Katherine Rake, chief executive officer of the Family and Parenting Institute, said that greater interaction between parents and teachers could help protect children from bullying, but added that this was less common at secondary schools than primaries.

In 2008, 51 per cent of parents said they felt very involved in their child’s school life, compared to just 29 per cent in 2001.