How Schools Handle Bullying: What Parents Need to Know

As a parent, few things are more distressing than discovering your child is being bullied—or accused of bullying—at school. Understandably, parents want to know how schools are expected to deal with bullying and what steps they can take if they feel the situation isn’t being handled effectively.

Schools in England have clear responsibilities when it comes to bullying. While every school’s approach may differ slightly, here’s what you need to know about their legal duties, response processes, and how you can work with the school to ensure your child is supported.

1️⃣ Schools Must Have an Anti-Bullying Policy

Every school is legally required to have measures in place to prevent and respond to bullying. These are usually outlined in the school's behaviour policy or a dedicated anti-bullying policy, which should be available on the school’s website.

The Equality Act 2010 also means schools must act if bullying relates to protected characteristics such as race, disability, gender, sexuality, or religion.

In addition, safeguarding guidance (such as Keeping Children Safe in Education) states that bullying can sometimes cross into a child protection issue—particularly if it is persistent, involves physical harm, or affects a child’s emotional wellbeing.

2️⃣ What Counts as Bullying?

Schools generally define bullying as repeated behaviour intended to hurt someone emotionally or physically. It can take different forms:

📌 Verbal – name-calling, insults, threats 

📌 Physical – hitting, pushing, damaging belongings 

📌 Relational – excluding someone, spreading rumours 

📌 Cyberbullying – online harassment, offensive messages, fake profiles

It’s important to note that one-off incidents, while serious, may not always be classified as bullying—but schools should still take action if a child has been harmed or feels unsafe.

3️⃣ How Schools Prevent and Respond to Bullying

A good school will take proactive steps to prevent bullying from happening in the first place. This includes:

✅ Teaching about respect and kindness through PSHE and assemblies 

✅ Encouraging a culture where children feel safe to report bullying 

✅ Training staff to spot and respond to bullying effectively 

✅ Having clear, fair consequences for unacceptable behaviour

However, despite these measures, bullying can still happen. When it does, schools typically follow three key steps:

Step 1: Investigation

The school should: 

🔍 Speak to the child affected, the alleged bully, and any witnesses 

🔍 Gather evidence (e.g., statements, messages, CCTV) 

🔍 Determine whether the behaviour meets the definition of bullying

Step 2: Action

Depending on the severity of the situation, schools may: 

⚠️ Provide support for the child affected—this could include emotional check-ins, practical help, or involvement of external services 

⚠️ Apply sanctions for the child responsible, such as detentions or loss of privileges, but also work with them to understand and change their behaviour 

⚠️ Use restorative approaches, such as mediation, where appropriate 

⚠️ Keep parents informed of any action taken

Step 3: Monitoring

📋 Schools should track incidents and check in to ensure bullying does not continue. 

📋 If necessary, additional interventions may be put in place. 

📋 If bullying is a recurring problem, schools may review their policies and strategies.

4️⃣ What If Bullying Continues?

If you feel your child’s school isn’t taking bullying seriously, here’s what you can do:

📝 Document everything – Keep records of incidents, emails, and meetings with the school. 

📞 Communicate with the school – Raise concerns with the class teacher or head of year. 

📍 Follow the school’s complaints process – If you’re not satisfied, escalate the issue to the headteacher, governing body, or local authority. 

🚔 In serious cases, involve external agencies – If bullying involves threats, assault, or hate crime, you may need to contact the police or safeguarding services.

5️⃣ What Can Parents Do to Support Their Child?

Whether your child is experiencing bullying, witnessing it, or being accused of it, you can help by:

💬 Listening and reassuring them – Let them know they are not alone and that the situation can be resolved. 

📚 Helping them understand bullying – Teach them about healthy friendships, boundaries, and standing up for themselves safely. 

📝 Encouraging them to report bullying – Schools can only act on what they know. 

🤝 Working with the school – Approach the situation as a team effort rather than an adversarial one.

Final Thoughts

Bullying can have a serious impact on children’s confidence and wellbeing, but schools have a duty to take it seriously. If handled properly, incidents can be resolved, and children can move forward in a positive way.

If you ever feel your child’s concerns are being ignored, don’t be afraid to advocate for them—but also remember that long-term solutions often require patience, open communication, and a partnership between parents and schools.