Bullying is a distressing situation for any child (and parent) to face. Anna Selby discusses what you can do if you discover it's happening to your child

Bullying is not your child's fault. When you know that your child is being bullied, give him or her time to tell you the facts and give plenty of reassurance that it is not your child's fault that this is happening. This is particularly important if the bullying takes the form of undermining the child by teasing: for instance, if a child looks different in some way or has a learning difficulty.

Don't tell your child to ignore the taunts or fight back. This could result in your child getting hurt or labelled a bully instead. The important thing is that he or she knows you are taking it seriously and will deal with it. Your first step is to discuss it with your child?s teacher, who may not be aware of the bullying at all. All schools in the UK should now have an anti-bullying policy, and that will set out how the school deals with the problem and the procedures it follows. There is much more awareness now of the problem of bullying and most schools will take it seriously.

They will also try to help the bully as well as the victim. Children who bully often don't realise it's wrong or have been bullied themselves. Studies have shown they often receive more forceful, physical discipline from their parents and watch more TV violence than other children. The bullying is often an attempt to make other children look up to them. They see it as a way of attracting other children to play with them, albeit by fear rather than friendship.

What if the bullying continues?
If the bullying is still going on, it's important to keep a record of events. Keep a diary (or get your child to) of when the bullying occurs and what happens. Write to the teacher explaining that the bullying is still going on and ask that the letter be put into your child's school file.

If you do not feel satisfied with the way the class teacher tackles the bullying, approach the head teacher and, if this still leaves the matter unresolved, you can take it to the school governors or the director of your local education authority. If you need support or information at any stage, you can ring the helpline at Parentline Plus on: 0808 800 2222.

Strategies for your child
In the meantime, you can help your child by giving him or her some anti-bullying strategies.

Tell your child: