What do I do?

Your response to bullying behaviour can make all the difference for children and young people with learning disabilities.

A Helpful Response

1. Don’t Panic - A calm response will reassure the child and help ease their fears about being bullied
2. Listen – give the child your full attention - Acknowledging the child’s feelings shows that you are taking the bullying and its impact seriously
3. Listen – what do they want you to do to help? - Taking the child’s wishes and concerns into account will help you resolve the situation together effectively and sensitively

More information on listening skills  and clearer communication.

Improving the Experiences of Children and Young People With Learning Disabilities

More than one third of children with learning disabilities feel that reporting bullying to an adult does not make a difference (Speak Up! report) All adults, however, can make a difference

This is what young people have told us they want adults to do:

"When We Report Bullying, We Need You to Act"
Telling someone you are being bullied can be daunting and often takes a lot of courage. Failure to respond to this can be disheartening and frustrating. Taking action to change the bullying behaviour and keeping the child or young person informed makes all the difference. This sends a clear message that bullying is never acceptable and that you are an adult who can help.

"We Need Your Help To Build Our Confidence"
Feeling different can lead to low confidence and self-esteem among children and young people with learning disabilities. Showing dignity, respect and praise for their achievements and abilities will build confidence and resilience and make children and young people less vulnerable to bullying and its effects.

"We need people to understand that people with learning disabilities are the same as everyone else"
Teaching other young people that children with learning disabilities have the same feelings as everyone else can help reduce bullying behaviour. Children with learning disabilities are often left out or called names because people see them as different. Dispelling myths about learning disability is an important step towards children with learning disabilities being included.
Learning disability true or false quiz
Myths about learning disability and bullying

"We Need To Know Our Rights – And For Them To Be Respected"
There is no reason why children’s rights should not be equally enjoyed by all children and young people, but for many with learning disabilities, this is not the case. Their rights to participation, dignity and respect are too often denied. When young people know more about rights and responsibilities, they are more likely to expect to be treated well and to treat others with respect. You can help young people to learn more about children;s rights by finding out more for yourself.

To Learn More About Children’s Rights click here.

"We need you to be a good role model"
Adults need to behave in a respectful way if they expect children and young people to do the same. 
Being a good role model