Children’s rights

Survive and develop healthily – The impacts of bullying behaviour must be addressed in a way that meets the needs of those young people affected and involved. Adults share a responsibility to address any behaviour that can harm the development of children.

What you need to be happy and healthy – The positive impact of healthy relationships, supportive role-models, inclusion, love and respect can be undermined by bullying behaviour. Teaching children how to value and promote a healthy sense of respect for themselves and others will help reduce the risk of bullying behaviour.

Relax and play – Being excluded from activities by bullying behaviour has a harmful impact on development, health and wellbeing. As adults we are responsible for shaping an inclusive culture where all children can participate.

Get and share information – Bullying and its impacts can be detrimental to a child’s capacity to learn. This right also highlights an adult’s responsibility to take young people’s views into account when making decisions that affect them.

Free primary education – A child’s right to education can be denied if they refuse to attend or are removed from school because of bullying behaviour. Staff and parents have a responsibility to change behaviour that is making a child feel unsafe.

Develop your talents fully – The impact of bullying on self-esteem and aspirations can prevent young people from reaching their full potential.

Be listened to, opinions heard – Young people’s views must be considered when responding to bullying behaviour. Exclusion can also impact on this right. When situations require adults to go against a child’s wishes – for example when there is serious risk of harm - there is a clear responsibility to help a child understand that their best interests are at heart.

Practice your religion – Bullying behaviour stemming from prejudices can devalue a child’s beliefs. Children have a responsibility to respect the beliefs of others and adults have an important role to play in encouraging this, while strongly challenging prejudice-based attitudes and actions.

Meet together and join groups – A culture of bullying can prevent young people from engaging in their chosen activities. It is not fair or healthy to ask a child or young person to change their behaviour to avoid bullying as anything other than a short-term measure. The focus needs to be on changing the bullying behaviour that threatens this right.

Privacy and their way of life – Online bullying or ‘cyberbullying’ can be an example of an invasion of privacy. An important adult responsibility is to give children the skills and understanding to respect their own privacy as well as that of others. Name-calling and negative labelling can deny children this right. A child’s capacity to develop their sense of self can be undermined by name-calling or by conforming to bullying behaviour by labelling themselves in a derogatory way.

Be cared for by parents and government – Quality of care can be undermined by a failure to address bullying behaviour and its impacts. Children are very clear about the significant impact and concern bullying causes them and this must be reflected by the policy, culture and practice of organisations responsible for their care.

Protection from violence and abuse & Be protected from harm – Children and young people have a right to be protected from bullying behaviour – a protection that all adults in their lives, regardless of their roles, share a responsibility to provide what is best for children.  All organisations have a duty to provide a safe, healthy environment for children where bullying is unacceptable. This responsibility must not be a burden heaped on a few individuals – but rather understood and shared by all staff.

Special help if neglected or abused – All young people have a right to the support they need to recover from bullying behaviour. Every child is different and so adults have a responsibility to recognise the importance of an individual journey of recovery, informed by the young person concerned.