Anti-Bullying Week runs November 16–20 — see this year’s campaign

Section 01 · Awareness

Understand bullying before you fight it.

The four forms it takes, the signs it leaves, and the myths that let it keep happening.

1.1

Physical

Hitting, pushing, taking or damaging belongings. The most visible form — and the most reported.

1.2

Verbal

Name-calling, mockery, and threats. Leaves no marks; leaves the deepest ones.

1.3

Social

Exclusion, rumor-spreading, and public humiliation. Often invisible to adults entirely.

1.4

Cyber

All of the above, online — following a child past the school gate and into their home.

The checklist adults actually use.

One sign is a bad week. A pattern is a conversation. Print this page — it lives in every toolkit pack.

Unexplained bruises, torn clothes, or missing belongings
Suddenly avoiding school, the bus, or certain hallways
Sleeping badly, eating differently, or frequent "sick days"
A drop in grades with no clear cause
Withdrawing from friends and activities they loved
Distress after using their phone — then hiding the screen
Talking about themselves as worthless or a burden
Never wanting to talk about who they sat with today
One in three children. Every playground. Every timeline.

Four myths, retired.

“It’s just part of growing up.”

FactBullied children are 2–3x more likely to experience anxiety and depression that lasts into adulthood.

“Kids sort it out themselves.”

FactWithout adult intervention, bullying escalates. Children stop it in under 10 seconds when trained to speak up.

“Teachers would notice if it was serious.”

FactMost bullying happens where adults are absent — group chats, corridors, the walk home.

“Some kids are just bullies.”

FactChildren who bully are often struggling themselves. Punishment alone changes nothing; teaching does.

Section 1.4 in depth

The bell rings. It doesn’t stop.

Cyberbullying follows a child home in their pocket. The response is the same as every other form — evidence, a trusted adult, a plan — but the teaching has to happen before the first group chat, not after.

Taught in Module 04 — Online & Off

Screenshot, block, tell. Rehearsed until it’s a reflex.

The numbers, before and after.

Experienced bullying in the last year 33%
Experienced it online 21%
Told an adult about it 41%
Told an adult — after one program term 74%

Program partner-school data, 2025. Global prevalence: UNESCO.

Next: Section 02 Teaching Modules — six lessons, fully scripted