Challenging bullying

Experiencing bullying, whether in school, online, or in the community can have a serious impact on a child’s wellbeing, confidence, and ability to attend school. The Education Welfare Service is here to support children, young people, and families affected by bullying.

Working in partnership with schools, families, and other agencies, our Education Welfare Officers can help address attendance concerns linked to bullying, advocate for the child’s needs, and ensure appropriate support is in place. We listen without judgment and work to ensure every child feels safe, heard, and able to access their education without fear.

If bullying is affecting your child’s attendance or wellbeing, please contact us, we are here to help you find a way forward.

Understanding and responding to bullying

As a parent or carer, you play a vital role in helping your child navigate friendships and social interactions, both in person and online. By guiding them to treat others with kindness and respect, and by promoting open conversations about their experiences, you can support their social and emotional wellbeing.

You are often the first to notice if your child seems withdrawn, unhappy, anxious, or more aggressive than usual. These may be signs that something is wrong, and possibly that they are experiencing or engaging in bullying.

We understand that discovering your child is involved in bullying, whether as a victim or perpetrator, can bring a mix of emotions: worry, sadness, anger, or guilt. Please remember, you are not alone, and there is a way forward. We are here to help.

What is bullying?

Pembrokeshire County Council defines bullying as:

"Behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, which intentionally hurts others either physically or emotionally."

Bullying can happen face to face or online (cyberbullying), and it usually involves three key elements:

Intentional harm, the behaviour is deliberate.
Repeated over time, not a one-off incident.
Imbalance of power, the person being targeted feels unable to defend themselves.

While not all conflict or unacceptable behaviour is bullying, it is always important to take your child’s concerns seriously and seek support if needed.

How the Education Welfare Service can help

If bullying is affecting your child’s attendance, wellbeing, or behaviour, our Education Welfare Officers can work with you and your child’s school to help address the issue. We support families through early intervention, advice, advocacy, and referral to further support if needed.

No child should feel unsafe or unsupported at school. If you’re concerned, please contact us, we are here to help.

When is it not bullying?

The following examples are examples of unacceptable behaviour but are not examples of bullying:

a disagreement or ‘falling out’
an argument or one-off fight
relationship issues where children or young people need to learn how to get along better
someone being ‘nasty’ with unkind or disrespectful words or action.

All unacceptable behaviour must be challenged, whether bullying or not.

What can you do to help?

There are lots of things you can do as a parent/carer to support your child, the guidance linked below gives some ideas about how to talk to your child about bullying, how to spot the signs, how you can help them and how to build your child’s confidence and self-esteem. The guidance also gives information about dealing with bullying online, it covers coping with the effects of bullying and managing your own feelings and actions

Guidance for parents and carers (opens in a new tab)

Guidance for young people (opens in a new tab)

Guidance for children (opens in a new tab)

What to expect from your child’s school

All schools have a duty of care to provide a safe, supportive environment for learners. By law, they must have a behaviour policy, and we expect them to have a clear anti-bullying policy as well. These policies outline how bullying concerns are handled and should be available on the school’s website or upon request.

Raising a bullying concern: General steps

If you need to report a bullying incident, follow these steps, allowing the school time to act and monitor progress:

Speak to the class teacher, form tutor, or head of year
If unresolved, escalate to the headteacher
Next, contact the school governing body
If necessary, raise the issue with the local authority

Throughout the process, keep a written record of your communications, including:

Who you spoke to
When and how contact was made
What was discussed
Any agreed actions and responsibilities

Remember: timely and consistent communication helps schools take effective action to keep your child safe and supported.

Communicating concerns respectfully

We understand that issues involving your child can be distressing, but it’s important to handle concerns through the appropriate channels.

Please avoid using social media to voice complaints about the school or to criticise or threaten individual members of staff. This can escalate the situation, cause unnecessary harm, and may lead to legal consequences. Schools have a duty of care not only to pupils but also to their staff.

Similarly, do not approach other children or families involved either in person or online. Confronting others can increase tensions and make the situation more difficult to resolve.

To ensure the best outcome for your child, we encourage you to work with the school through the proper procedures and maintain open, respectful communication at all times.

School Attendance and Pupil Welfare