Bullying & Cyberbullying

There are no official statistics on the number of children and young people suffering from bullying & cyberbullying but from extensive research studies it appears that bullying is an issue that affects most children in someway. Whether they are the bully, the person being bullied or a witness to bullying. To put the extent of the problem into some perspective, there were over 19000 childlike counselling sessions about bullying in 2017/18 so from this we can make the summation that as many if not more children sought help from private counsellors, school counsellors, therapists and CAMHS. Nearly half of LGBT young people have been bullied at school and it is estimated that 16000 young people are absent from school due to bullying.

Signs of Bullying & Cyberbullying

It can be hard for adults including parents to know whether a child is being bullied, especially if the child does not say and many don’t. The signs to look out for include :

  • Belongings getting lost or damaged
  • physical injuries including unexplained bruises
  • being afraid to go to school
  • being mysteriously ill every morning
  • skipping school
  • not doing as well at school
  • being nervous and losing confidence
  • becoming with drawn
  • problems with eating or sleeping
  • becoming aggressive or irritable
  • becoming tearful and agitated
  • bullying others
  • self harming/ substance misuse

How Can I Help ?

I incorporate three dynamic therapies into treatment plans for young people. Cognitive behavioural therapy CBT to help ease anxiety, fear, stress and other emotions associated with bullying. Mindfulness based cognitive therapy to help with resilience and the development of a greater ability to regulate emotional responses. Hypnotherapy to improve self esteem and confidence.

These three therapies combined will give your child or teenager the best opportunity to recover from the devastating effects of bullying. As a specialist mental health professional and a mother of 4 children I am very experienced and skilled, able to provide the right service for your child or teenager.