The law
Some forms of bullying are illegal and should be reported to the police. These include:
- violence or assault
- theft
- repeated harassment or intimidation, e.g. name calling, threats and abusive phone calls, e-mails or text messages
- hate crimes.
Schools and the law
By law, all state (not private) schools must have a behaviour policy in place that includes measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils.
This policy is decided by the school. All teachers, pupils and parents must be told what it is.
Anti-discrimination law
Schools must also follow anti-discrimination law. This means staff must act to prevent discrimination, harassment and victimisation within the school. This applies to all schools in England and Wales, and most schools in Scotland.
Northern Ireland has different anti-discrimination law.
Reporting bullying
You should report bullying to your school in the first place – or someone you trust if it happens outside school, e.g. in a club or online.
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