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New survey shows quarter of bullied teens will bully others

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Former Brunel psychologist Professor Ian Rivers has called for an understanding of the context in which bullying takes place as a new report shows that nearly a quarter of young people who have been bullied go on to victimise others.

This year’s annual survey, carried out by anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label, found that 50 per cent of the 8,850 teenagers surveyed claimed to have been bullied in the past year.

The findings also suggest that more than twice as many boys as girls bully - 66 per cent of males compared to 31 per cent of females.

Around a third of those who bully said they rarely or very rarely spent time with their parents, and almost the same number said they had daily rows at home.

The findings suggest people who bully are more likely than average to have suffered a traumatic event, such as their parents splitting up or a major family fall-out.

And 44 per cent of young people who have been bullied suffer depression, 33 per cent have suicidal thoughts and 31 per cent go on to self-harm, the survey found.

Prof Rivers, Ditch the Label chairperson, said: "Bullying remains a significant concern in UK schools.

"It is very important that we understand the context in which bullying takes place, and how and why young people are bullied by their peers."

Ditch the Label’s Annual Bullying Survey 2016 can be found here