Kidscape with Giants Live

Kidscape is a bullying prevention charity working throughout England and Wales that wants to see all children grow up in supportive communities safe from bullying and harm. We provide practical support, training, and advice to challenge bullying and protect young lives.

There are five main ways that we reduce the impact of bullying and harm: 

Building communities of support 
Reducing isolation and loneliness 
Promoting positive relationships 
Supporting resilience and wellbeing
Helping children recognise and respond to bullying behaviour.

Our work includes online advice and resources, a parent advice line, and face-to-face workshops for children and families that build awareness and resilience, delivered both in schools and the community. Over the last three years (Apr 2019 to March 2022), we worked directly with over 14,000 children and young people throughout England and Wales, with over 23,000 parents and carers, and we provided advice, training and resources to over 9,500 adults with a duty of care for children and young people.

The impact of bullying

Research shows that almost 1 in 4 pupils (24%) reported being frequently bullied in the last few weeks (Anti-Bullying Alliance, 2022). What’s more, pupils in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM) (30%) and those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) (31%) are significantly more likely to be frequently bullied.

Bullying can happen in school, the community, the home, and online. Anxiety, mental health problems, and low self-confidence are common among children who have experienced bullying, and the adverse, long-term effects can be felt into their adult lives. Through electronic devices, bullying can take many forms, such as verbal, physical, emotional, or cyberbullying. Bullying is a child protection issue, and we all have a legal duty to protect children from bullying and harm.

We know that children who are bullied have a range of short- and long-term negative outcomes. For example, children who are bullied are eight times more likely to develop depression in childhood, with greater patterns of depression in adulthood (Kwong et al in JAMA Open Network, 2019). 

If children do not feel safe in school, they are not able to learn. Bullying has  short- and long-term impacts on many outcomes, including academic performance.  Research from the Department for Education shows that young people who have been bullied have an attainment gap of 12 points, equivalent to two grades lower in one GCSE (DfE, 2018). 

But the good news is that we can challenge bullying behaviour by creating inclusive, kind, and empathic communities where children feel safe and supported.

‘If I hadn’t gone to the Kidscape workshop, I could never have escaped the loneliness and sadness of my life. To anyone else getting bullied, I want you to understand you are not alone, people can help you, and you can do anything you put your mind to. Be yourself and be proud to be you. I wish we had found Kidscape sooner; it’s not a gimmick, it doesn’t pretend to stop the bullies, but it gives YOU the tools you need to make yourself bully proof’ – Hannah, Kidscape Beneficiary.