At Least a Quarter of School Children Are Bullied, According to ReachOut

Mental health service ReachOut urges parents, teachers and students to call out bullying and “act early” when they see it.

It’s that time of year again where thousands of young people flock back to school. With this in mind, ReachOut is making a point to remind everyone of how bullying can affect the lives of young people.

By conducting a survey, the organisation found at least one in four people aged between 14 to 25-years-old had been a victim of bullying in the past 12 months.

According to its findings, 52 per cent of bullying happened at school, while around 25 per cent happened online, and 25 per cent at work.

“We know this is a really big concern for young people and their parents,” ReachOut chief executive Jono Nicholas told the ABC. He thinks we need to break down the stigma of being a bullying victim, so that victims will be more inclined to speak out and get help.

“Often people hope that it will go away, hope that if they’re quiet it will magically change,” he said. “The most important thing to do is act early.”

Let's beat bullying. pic.twitter.com/ePoDsfZn1b

— ReachOut.com (@ReachOut_AUS) January 30, 2017

If you’re being bullied, Nicholas recommends trying to remove yourself from the situation. If that doesn’t work, then speak to someone about it. It’s important, he says, for parents to go into these conversations saying: “We want this resolved.”

Nicholas said, if you are being bullied, don’t forget that counselling services exist out there. When it’s too hard to speak to family or friends, counselling services—like Kids Helpline, or ReachOut—can be great alternatives.

“We want young people, who experience bullying, and their parents to know that you don’t have to put up with it,” said Nicholas. “There are things you can do right now to address bullying behaviour.”

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.

If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available now. Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Photo: iStock