t is my pleasure to welcome you to
The Annual Bullying Survey 2018
and to mark the launch of our sixth an-
nual benchmark of bullying behaviours
in the United Kingdom. This year, we
have tracked the lived experiences of
the young people victimised to bul-
lying, whilst also delving deeper into
the psyche and motives of those who
perpetrate. Our theme this year was
to uncover the experiences of those
who witness bullying; exploring how
we can better equip and empower
young people to safely and effectively
intervene in cases of bullying.
1-in-5 of all young people have
witnessed bullying within the past
12-months, with 50% of them wit-
nessing it at least once a month. The
experience proves to have serious
impacts upon their own mental health,
with 59% saying they felt bad and 39%
reporting that it made them feel upset.
Only 17% told us that they always
intervene when they witness bullying.
Most commonly young people were
scared of being victimised or felt like
they didn’t have the right skills to
interject. From those who did inter-
vene, the response is largely positive
and a statistic that I particularly found
reassuring was 1-in-4 interventions
resulted in them gaining a new friend.
This research continues to uncover the
devastating and very real impacts that
bullying is having on young people.
60% told us that it had impacted their
mental health, with 1-in-2 telling us it
made them feel depressed and 11%
attempting to take their own lives as
a result. This report does not make for
easy reading.
Our research unearths a new reality
about perpetrators – finding that they
too are experiencing adverse mental
health and are equally, if not, more so,
in desperate need of our help. 44%
of perpetrators felt guilty when they
bullied somebody, which shows a huge
degree of remorse. Worryingly 1-in-3
felt in control and 29% felt powerful
when they perpetrated; highlighting
a huge opportunity to aid them in
developing better ways of catering to
this driver.
It is my hope that this research will
continue to spark societal conversa-
tion, whilst creating a positive influ-
ence on policy and innovation within
the sector. As a leading and innovative
global anti-bullying organisation, it is
our continued mission to work both
proactively and reactively to combat
bullying within society. These insights
will influence the creation and delivery
of pioneering new interventions to
better support all stakeholders in the
complex dynamic of bullying.
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