Hi there,

Bullying is never okay. It can happen to anyone and it’s not your friend’s fault that they’re being targeted. Your friend has the right to feel safe just like anyone else, you’re a good friend for wanting to support her.

There are lots of things you can do to help. The first is to make sure your friend knows you’re there for her. This could be as simple as a supportive message or standing up for her if it’s safe and you feel able to. It can seem small, but showing someone you care and you support them can do a lot to help them cope.

It’s also important to make sure a teacher or someone at school knows what’s happening. You can talk to a teacher any time about what you’ve seen, we have advice on asking an adult for help if you're not sure where to start. All schools should have an anti-bullying policy, which includes how they need to stop bullying. It’s important to talk to your friend about telling someone before you decide to, they may want to tell someone themselves and it can be better if you’re able to help them do that.

It's important to remember that bullying won’t always stop straight away. If it keeps going, try keeping records of what’s happening and when, and then keep on telling teachers about what’s happened. The more they know, the more they can do to help. If things keep happening, we’ve got advice on ways to deal with bullying.

Lastly, it can help to make time for you and your friend to just spend time together away from the bullying. Doing something you both enjoy can help to take their mind off what’s happened and can stop the bullying taking over everything. You’re a good friend for wanting to help them.

Childline is here to talk if either of you are struggling. You can speak about how all of this is affecting you, and your friend can come on for support any time. There are lots of ways to talk to a Childline counsellor.

Take care,

Sam