Bullying in Schools Solicitors
Still commonplace but now, thankfully, unacceptable; bullying amongst children at school and online is on the increase throughout the UK.
Please note: we are only able to take on cases on a privately paying basis. If you are unable to privately fund your case or you looking for general guidance on what actions you can take to protect you or your child’s education rights, you can refer to the Education section of the Citizens Advice website.
Taking place in physical and digital spaces, bullying has a real-world impact on a child’s health and happiness. This can result in serious short-term issues and long-term trauma.
Many educational institutions take a zero-tolerance approach to bullying. But, despite best efforts, educators sometimes fail to address abuse and, in these cases, a complaint should be escalated until the issue is amicably resolved.
Each educational body has a duty of care to protect its pupils and can be held legally responsible for failure to implement or monitor its protective rules.
In bullying cases it is always important to understand your legal options. Our team at IBB can help in a number of different ways. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Professional guidance
- Case construction
- Representation and counsel
- Legal support
- Bespoke care
No matter what course of action you pursue, it is imperative that you put the health and happiness of your child first. We will always factor this into our impartial guidance and make sure that you are fully equipped with the information that allows you to make the best decision for their future.
We offer a fixed fee initial consultation with our team to discuss your needs and see how we can help. We then charge for our services on a fixed fee basis, providing certainty over the costs involved.
Looking for quick answers about bullying in school? Take a look at our FAQs.
If you want to know more about how we can help with school bullying, please contact our education law consultant Salima Mawji on 01895 207247 or email salima.mawji@ibblaw.co.uk.
Common questions about bullying in school
What counts as bullying?
Bullying is defined by the Anti-Bullying Alliance as:
“The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or through cyberspace.”
It is worth remembering that many forms of bullying are unlawful under common law. Examples of unlawful bullying are:
- Physical violence or threat of violence
- Assault
- Theft and/or Criminal Damage
- Hate Crimes
- Theft
- Cyberbullying
What can you do if your child is being bullied at school?
If your child reports bullying, it is important to immediately inform the school in writing, ask them to confirm what corrective action will be taken. This is especially important if the act involves abuse, harassment, violence, or victimisation.
You should also ask for the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy and the Complaint Procedure.
What can you do if a school fails to protect your child from being bullied?
In some cases, there may be a need to enact legal action against the school itself. This can potentially be intimidating and a highly stressful process, which any legal counsel will help make as simple as possible.
If a school is deemed to fail in their duty of care, they can be held legally responsible for the consequence of bullying and formally required to make significant changes to their rules and daily practice. This commonly needs to be addressed on a case-by-case basis and should be accompanied by specialist advice to understand the strength of your case.
Get clear legal advice and support for what to do if your child is being bullied at school
If you want to know more about how we can help with school bullying, please contact our education law consultant Salima Mawji on 01895 207247 or email salima.mawji@ibblaw.co.uk.
