June 2010     New Kids Helpline statistics reveal that one-in-ten children who are bullied and tell an adult get no support or resolution.  Kids Helpline General Manager Wendy Protheroe said that while research estimates one-in-four Year 4 to 9 students are bullied every few weeks or more, the majority simply don’t speak out.

“This is supported by our experience,” she said. “While our counsellors responded to almost 2,500 contacts from young Australians about bullying/assault related issues last year, around two-thirds of those had not told an adult about the bullying.

“They told us that this is because they either felt they couldn’t or because they chose the Kids Helpline counsellor to be the first person they spoke with about it.  However, what is really worrying is that, of the remaining third who actually told parents or teachers about their concerns, at least 10 per cent still experienced ongoing bullying.", Ms. Protheroe said.

Furthermore, she states that: "A trap many adults reportedly fell into was to ignore, minimise or unintentionally blame the child. Often there is an inherent or implied message that the bullying is their fault and they should actively do something about it – an approach which can often just intensify their emotional hurt.”

Feeling scared, powerless, helpless, ashamed and other emotions result from being bullied, particularly when occurring over a long period, and these feelings have the capacity for long-lasting effects on children.
Ways that you can protect a child from any long-lasting negative impacts of bullying include:

•Take lots of time to hear, listen and understand
•Work with the child or young person to develop options, solutions or ways to respond to the bully
•Try to buffer the impact of bullying by increasing other positive experiences
•Enlist the assistance of others. Notify the school of the bullying behaviour, find out what the school's anti-bullying policies are and what options are available to you. If you're not happy with the actions of the school, make this clear to relevant local education authorities.

“While it might sound like a cliché, the truth is we are all responsible for ensuring we treat each other with respect and kindness,” said Ms Protheroe.  “As a community and a nation we need to say ‘no to bullying’ and teach our young people that it is never, ever OK to bully.”

Kids Helpline, Australia’s only national children’s counselling service, provides 24 hour counselling services to young people aged 5 to 25 years – free call 1800 55 1800 or online at www.kidshelp.com.au.

Download Kids Helpline Bullying Infosheet at http://www.kidshelp.com.au/upload/22846.pdf

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