More than third of English school teens bullied: study

Bullying in English schools has shown a dramatic fall, figures published Sunday by the Department for Education (DfE) reveal.

A new study reveals 36 percent of children have experienced bullying in the past year, compared to 41 percent a decade ago.

The results have emerged as part of an ambitious study which is tracking the lives of more than 13,000 children from schools across the country from the age of 13 until they reach 19 in 2019.

Today's figures are based on results of in-depth interviews with children as they reached 14 or 15.

Six percent reported being bullied on a daily basis, a one percent drop compared to 2005, with name calling the most reported form of bullying (22percent). One in 10 experienced violence, with one percent saying they had been robbed.

The figures show more girls suffer bullying than boys, 42 percent against 32 percent.

Asked why they were being bullied 29 percent of girls said it was because of their looks, with 3 percent of boys and girls blaming it on them being disabled, and 3 percent blaming their skin color.

For the first time children were asked about cyberbullying, with one in 10 reporting they had experienced this new form of bullying.

The figures show children in London were least likely to be victims, with 32 percent reported bullying, compared to 42 percent in South West England.

The new figures come as part of a government drive to make sure teachers have the tools they need to tackle bullying and violence in schools.

A spokesman for the DfE said: "A range of tough new powers have been introduced since 2010 to enable heads and teachers to retake control of their classrooms. On top of this, the government has pledged to train every teacher in not just how to tackle serious behaviour issues, but how to deal with low-level disruption that stops children from learning properly."

Strengthened measures in classrooms include stronger powers to search pupils, removing the requirement to give parents 24 hours' written notice of after-school detentions and clarifying teachers' power to use reasonable force to control unruly pupils.

Teachers have now been given greater powers to tackle cyberbullying by searching for and deleting inappropriate images on mobile phones and tablets.

The study has been published ahead of the launch of Anti-Bullying Week which starts Monday (Nov 16).

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan hailed the new figures, saying getting tough on discipline and supporting bullied children can change lives for the better.

Morgan commented: "We are helping teachers and charities end the scourge of bullying in our schools. We are determined to tackle any barriers which stop pupils attending school and learning so they can fulfil their potential. Thanks to reforms bullying is plummeting. While there is still more to do, today's news confirms that strong discipline coupled with the right support allows children to flourish, and can transform lives by reducing bullying." Endit