Bullying - Easy Read information

Bullying

A group of young men in hoodies are taunting an old woman with a walking stick

What is bullying?

Bullying is when someone is horrible to you on purpose. Anyone can be bullied. 

People are often bullied because they are different from other people.

Person with hands near mouth looking frightened

Why is bullying wrong?

Bullying is wrong because it makes people feel scared and upset.

A group of young people swearing and saying nasty things to an old lady who looks scared

If someone bullies you they might:

  • call you horrible names
A woman with her hand in a fist punching in front of her.
  • hit you
Someone wearing a hoody kicking someone lying on the ground.
  • kick you
Two people talking to a man in an electric chair looking for money
  • steal your things
A man looking at a laptop, on the screen is an angry man pointing and shouting
  • send you nasty text messages, emails or letters or make a nasty phone call
one person telling another off and pointing at them
  • make you do things you do not want to do
A man is sitting down trying to get the attention of a support worker who is ignoring him
  • ignore you and leave you out of things.
4 people sitting on a sofa.

What should I do if I am being bullied?

It is important to get it stopped. 

You can get help by telling:

  • a family member
A man shaking hands with another man. Both are smiling.
  • a friend
A man with a Headteacher ID badge stands in front of two other people in a classroom
  • your teacher if you are at school or college
A lady gets support to walk from her friend, using a walking frame.
  • your social worker , key worker, or carer if you have one.
Two police officers talking to a man
  • the police if someone has hit you or is seriously hurting you.
A man holding his hands to his face with a worried expression

Sometimes it’s hard to talk about our feelings or if something bad has happened to us. 

It’s common for people to feel that it’s their fault or feel ashamed, as well as scared, confused and alone.

A photograph of a woman looking sad as two people talk about her behind her back. The photograph is inside a red circle with the title No Bullying.

If you are being bullied, it is never your fault. 

There is always someone who can help stop it. Talking about it is the first step to stopping it.

A girl sitting on a chair with a man sitting on another chair leaning forwards to listen to her.

Different ways to tell someone that you are being bullied

Talk to someone: 

You can speak to a member of your family, your carer, or someone you trust like a friend or grandparent, or your doctor, school nurse, or one of Mencap’s helpline advisors. 

Whoever are most happy talking to, do it as soon as you can - they will want to listen and help.

A phone, an email and someone writing on an envelope.

Write to someone: 

If you don’t feel you can talk to someone, you can write a letter or email about what has been happening and send it to someone you want to tell.

Remember to write down what happened, and how it has made you feel.  

A box with a slot in the top and a hand putting a piece of paper into the slot. On the side of the box it says Bully Box

Use the bully box: 

A bully box is a safe letterbox that some schools have.

If your school has a bully box, write down or draw what has happened and how you feel, and post it in the box.

When the bully box is opened, someone will read your note and get help.

A man and a police woman are comforting a young girl who is crouched on the floor

What if the bullying doesn’t stop after I have asked for help?

There are lots of laws that say bullying is wrong. 

If you are still being bullied after you have got help, the police might be able to help you.

A woman is talking to a policeman at a desk in a meeting room

The police might ask you for evidence. 

Evidence means proof that something has happened. 

You can show the police evidence by keeping a diary of what is happening to you – you can write the diary or record it on a tape keeping any nasty letters, texts or emails to show them.

A woman in a wheelchair is talking to her doctor at her desk

What if I am still upset and scared after the bullying has stopped?

You can speak to your doctor and tell them how you feel. 

They might be able to find someone you can speak to about your feelings. This person is called a counsellor.

A woman is explaining something to a man. Both are sitting on chairs facing each other

A counsellor can help you to find ways of dealing with your problems. 

A laptop showing a cursor on the screen over to the word click

Where can I find more information about bullying?

To find out more about bullying visit our Bullying pages.

A woman sat at a computer screen and a telephone with the Mencap logo behind her. Underneath that picture is an image of a phone and an email

If you need more information about bullying you can call our free Learning Disability Helpline on 0808 808 1111 or email helpline@mencap.org.uk.