Pupils ‘hide’ themselves for fear of being bullied, survey shows

Ahead of Anti-Bullying Week, a new poll shows that primary and secondary pupils in England worry about being seen as ‘different’.

The poll, which surveyed over 1,600 eight to 16-year-olds in England, was published by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the National Children’s Bureau as part of Anti-Bullying Week (13 - 17 November).

It found that while the majority of children (96 per cent) think it is important to be yourself, of the two-fifths of children who would conceal something about themselves, 61 per cent said they would hide or change the way they look to avoid being bullied.

The research also revealed that 64 per cent of children polled have come across someone being bullied for being ‘different’ from others, yet more than a third (36 per cent) say they don’t learn enough in school about what to do if it happens to them

Following this, Anti-Bullying Alliance patron Andy Day, with his band Andy and the Odd Socks, is getting schools and early years settings to celebrate what makes everyone unique by asking children to wear odd socks to school on the first day of Anti-Bullying Week and celebrate ‘Odd Socks Day’.

During Anti-Bullying Week, supported this year by award-winning British technology company SafeToNet, children in schools across the country will be sending the message loud and clear that they are ‘All Different, All Equal’.