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| 71% of pupils admit being a bully | 71% of pupils admit being a bully |
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| Being bullied may be seen as one of the big scourges of schooldays but 71% of pupils admit they have been the bullies picking on others, a survey suggests. | Being bullied may be seen as one of the big scourges of schooldays but 71% of pupils admit they have been the bullies picking on others, a survey suggests. |
| In a survey of 3,000 secondary school pupils, 71.4% admitted to having been the perpetrator of a bullying incident. | In a survey of 3,000 secondary school pupils, 71.4% admitted to having been the perpetrator of a bullying incident. |
| Charity Beatbullying, which carried out the survey, says it gives an insight into the scope of the bullying problem. | |
| Teachers leaders said they were not surprised by the figures, but believe schools handle the issue effectively. | |
| In the survey, carried out between 2005 and 2007, children were asked if they had ever bullied and, if so, what had led them to do it. | In the survey, carried out between 2005 and 2007, children were asked if they had ever bullied and, if so, what had led them to do it. |
| Most bullying is low-level, perpetrated by young people who are easily led or incorrectly believe that it is inevitable, or worse still, that it makes them popular Emma-Jane Cross, chief executive, Beatbullying | Most bullying is low-level, perpetrated by young people who are easily led or incorrectly believe that it is inevitable, or worse still, that it makes them popular Emma-Jane Cross, chief executive, Beatbullying |
| Reasons given for being a bully included a fear that if they did not do it first it would happen to them; because their friends did it; or anger at another individual. A small number of children - 2% of those surveyed - did it because they thought it made them popular. | Reasons given for being a bully included a fear that if they did not do it first it would happen to them; because their friends did it; or anger at another individual. A small number of children - 2% of those surveyed - did it because they thought it made them popular. |
| For the purposes of the survey, bullying was defined as "being bullied twice a week over a period of six months and involving more than two types of bullying". | For the purposes of the survey, bullying was defined as "being bullied twice a week over a period of six months and involving more than two types of bullying". |
| Beatbullying chief executive Emma-Jane Cross said: "These figures show that the majority of bullying taking place in schools is not perpetrated by a recitative minority. | Beatbullying chief executive Emma-Jane Cross said: "These figures show that the majority of bullying taking place in schools is not perpetrated by a recitative minority. |
| "Most bullying is low-level, perpetrated by young people who are easily led or incorrectly believe that it is inevitable, or worse still, that it makes them popular. | "Most bullying is low-level, perpetrated by young people who are easily led or incorrectly believe that it is inevitable, or worse still, that it makes them popular. |
| "The good news is that these young people are within our grasp, they are not the hard to reach with severe behavioural problems. | "The good news is that these young people are within our grasp, they are not the hard to reach with severe behavioural problems. |
| "Beatbullying can continue to educate these young people to easily change their behaviour." | "Beatbullying can continue to educate these young people to easily change their behaviour." |
| Behaviour controls | Behaviour controls |
| General secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers Mick Brookes said he was "not surprised" at the number of children admitting to bullying and believed it showed their honesty. | General secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers Mick Brookes said he was "not surprised" at the number of children admitting to bullying and believed it showed their honesty. |
| He believes dealing with bullying is part of growing up and associated with learning about what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. | He believes dealing with bullying is part of growing up and associated with learning about what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. |
| He said controls on behaviour need to be imposed on children, but once those controls are taken on board - particularly in relation to bullying - they can be removed because you rely on children to be self-disciplined. | He said controls on behaviour need to be imposed on children, but once those controls are taken on board - particularly in relation to bullying - they can be removed because you rely on children to be self-disciplined. |
| He admitted that what constitutes bullying can get confused. | He admitted that what constitutes bullying can get confused. |
| When children report an incident as "bullying", teachers have to make a careful assessment of whether there is a genuine case or it is something more innocent, for example, one child accidentally knocking into another child in the playground, he added. | When children report an incident as "bullying", teachers have to make a careful assessment of whether there is a genuine case or it is something more innocent, for example, one child accidentally knocking into another child in the playground, he added. |
| But he admits that in some areas there has been an increase in bullying incidents, especially where there has been a "breakdown in standards of behaviour" in the community, which are then brought into school. | But he admits that in some areas there has been an increase in bullying incidents, especially where there has been a "breakdown in standards of behaviour" in the community, which are then brought into school. |
| But overall he believes schools are dealing with bullying effectively. | But overall he believes schools are dealing with bullying effectively. |
| He said: "I applaud what schools are doing. They are paragons of virtue in what can be very rough environments." | He said: "I applaud what schools are doing. They are paragons of virtue in what can be very rough environments." |
| Beatbullying is pro-active in tackling and preventing bullying and runs a peer mentoring scheme to help both bullies and those on the receiving end. | Beatbullying is pro-active in tackling and preventing bullying and runs a peer mentoring scheme to help both bullies and those on the receiving end. |