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Bullying
Bullying is when someone’s actions or behaviour towards you are impacting your ability to feel safe and able to go about your life normally.
Bullying is never ok and it is always wrong.
It can also happen anywhere, face to face or online (texts, DMs/direct messages, social media, forums etc). Bullying can look like:
- Being excluded or left out on purpose
- Hearing rumours being spread about you
- Being harassed due to who you are as a person
- Experiencing threatening or intimidating behaviour
- Being hurt physically (such as being pushed, hit, kicked, or restrained)
- Receiving nasty messages or seeing nasty comments about you online
- Being called names or teased
- Taking your personal belongings
- Having mean things being said to you to make you feel small or impact your confidence
Getting help
If you’re being bullied there are things you can do which might help:
Speak to a teacher – The school must ensure they do all they can to help you feel safe and secure.
Talk to a trusted adult or family member - they can help you get the right help in school and can help you feel better.
Get some advice – If you don’t feel you can talk to someone close to you, call Childline on 0800 1111 or use their 1-1 counsellor chat.
Report accounts or posts online - If bullying is on social media or an online platform, report the abusive post or account using the website/apps reporting tools.
Continue to report the bullying until it stops to your teacher, family, and online. It’s not ok and no one should have to deal with being bullied.
Tips to help
Looking after yourself
Sometimes when people have mental health problems they might forget or lack energy to take proper care of themselves. It is still important despite feeling low to maintain a healthy diet and get the right amount of sleep! Exercise has also been found to improve mood!
Talk to someone about how you are feeling
It can be really easy to isolate yourself from other people and spend more time on your own with your thoughts. It might feel like the easier thing to do, but we know that sharing your thoughts and feelings helps relieve some of those feelings and make things feel a little better.
You could talk to a family member or close friend about how you are feeling – having someone to listen really does help!
Other people you can talk to
If you don’t feel like talking to someone you know you could always try reaching out on the below sites who can offer chat services or more information.
Young Minds is a really good website with expert articles, advice and blogs and a crisis text-line.
Self-care tips for young people. have made some videos giving advice on how to deal with unhelpful thoughts, sleep, social media, anxiety, exercise and more.
Happy Maps have produced reliable resources recommended by parents and professionals.
Worcestershire Young Carers supports young people who have a caring responsibility at home.
Herefordshire Young Carers Club provides support and respite for children and young adults who are caring for a family member with an illness, disability, mental health issue or problem with drugs or alcohol.
Barnardos offer a range of support for young people, from your mental health and wellbeing, to being a care leaver or accessing support to find a job.
Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you. They won't judge you or tell you what to do, we'll listen to you. Anyone can contact Samaritans, no matter how old you are. Find out more about how to contact a Samaritan.
Useful apps:
Need to talk to someone?
If you are a child or young person and need some mental health support please talk to someone about how you are feeling. If you don’t feel you can talk to a family member or someone at school, consider some of the helplines or text support below. You are not alone.
Support from the NHS
The wellbeing and emotional support teams in schools service is designed to help children and young people ages 5-18 years access mental health and wellbeing support early on in educational settings. It's all about ensuring children and young people can get access to the right help as early as possible.
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Talking Therapies is open to young people aged 16 and over. They provide a range of support, including online therapy, groups and courses and 1:1 support. The team can also help you find and access a variety of groups, courses and activities delivered by voluntary, charity and social enterprise providers that can support your physical and mental wellbeing. You can self-refer online in your own time and you don't need to go to your doctor/GP first.
Other helpful links
Kooth is a helpful website offering online counselling and support through text, e-mail or chatting on the forum. Kooth is suitable for ages 10-18 years.
Lumi Nova is a personalised digital therapeutic game for childhood anxiety, co-designed with children, parents, NHS clinicians and experts in mental health, human-centred design and ethical gaming technology. It empowers young people aged 7 to 12 years to overcome mental health challenges and create life-long skills using immersive experiences that are self-guided, interactive and fun. Sign up for free here.
The Blues Programme is an internationally acclaimed wellbeing programme for young people aged 13-19. Over six weeks, it teaches emotional resilience, and reduces low mood and anxious thoughts. Crucially, it gets teenagers talking.
Worcestershire ChatHealth is a service where 11-19 years olds can text 07507331750 to speak to their School Health Nurse for confidential advice and support around a variety of issues, including bullying, emotional health, relationship problems, alcohol and drugs.
YoungMinds Textline offers you free, 24/7 text messaging support wherever you are in the UK. If you need someone to talk to about how you’re feeling, text YM to 85258.
Melo is there for people up to 25 years old. You can join workshops, therapy and online counselling made available for your needs. Referrals can be made via their website, telephone or WhatsApp. Hereford - 01432 800809, Worcester - 01905 673549
Worrying thoughts
Other worrying symptoms might include hearing voices, feelings of unreality, becoming very angry or violent, showing signs of an eating disorder or becoming very withdrawn. If you are a young person experiencing such thoughts, please talk to someone about how you are feeling and if you don’t feel you can talk to a family member, consider some of the helplines or text support. You are not alone.
Suicidal thoughts
If you are expressing suicidal thoughts or feeling like you wish to harm yourself or someone else, you should speak to a medical professional as soon as possible. Many people express suicidal thoughts because they are feeling overwhelmed and may not really want to act on them, but it is still very frightening. If you need help in an emergency phone 999.
Support in a mental health crisis
If you are experiencing something that makes you feel unsafe, distressed, or worried about your mental health, you can now contact the Herefordshire and Worcestershire 24 hour urgent mental health helpline by calling NHS 111 and selecting the mental health option.
What happens when I call?
The phone will be answered by a trained mental health professional who will be able to listen to your concerns and help you get the support you need. With your permission, they can also access your electronic patient records to better meet your needs and to avoid you repeatedly having to tell us your situation. They can offer advice over the phone, put you in contact with crisis services or refer you to other, appropriate support
Who can call?
You can call for yourself, or someone else. NHS 111 is for all ages, including children and young people and those with neurodevelopmental needs. If you’re deaf or have hearing loss, please use the following link to be connected to local crisis service – NHS 111 – SignVideo.
If you aren't able to make the call yourself, then anyone can call on your behalf — for example a friend, carer, loved one or even your GP. You can also access NHS 111 online via 111.nhs.uk.
The service is available to anyone facing a mental health crisis, which could include:
- Changes to your mood
- Withdrawing from people (close family, friends, or work colleagues)
- Having increased thoughts about your life not being worth living
- Excessive worry
- Feeling out of control or unable to cope
- Feeling anxious about leaving the house
- Hearing voices or seeing things that others can’t
- Thinking about harming yourself.
By calling NHS 111, and selecting the mental health option, we can help to get you the urgent support you need for your mental health. If you are unsure what to do, staff on this number will be able to guide you to the appropriate choice.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if:
- Yours or someone’s life is at risk – for example, they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose
- You do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe
If you just need to talk, any time of day or night
These services offer confidential advice from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult:
- Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours.
- Text "SHOUT" to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line.
- If you're under 19, you can call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.
- Are you a young person in crisis? Visit the Young Minds website for more support.
Alternative local support
- Worcestershire Safe Haven provides telephone support and face-to-face appointments to Worcestershire residents who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Call 01905 600400 any day of the week between 6pm and midnight for support and signposting.
- Herefordshire Mind Safe Haven is open to anyone over the age of 18, living in Herefordshire and struggling with mental distress. We provide an active listening service and signposting to help support those in need. We're open 356 days a year, 5pm-10pm on 01432 372 407 and safehaven@herefordshire-mind.org.uk. You do not need an appointment to talk to a member of staff over the phone but face to face support is by appointment only.
National support
- National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (open 24/7).
- Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.
- Papyrus HOPELINEUK247 is a suicide prevention helpline for anyone aged 35, or if you have concerns about a young person who might be struggling. Call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 or text 88247.
- If you are deaf or hard of hearing and experiencing a mental health crisis contact the SignHealth Text Crisis service, by texting DEAF to 85258 for free and immediate support. If yours, or someone else’s life is in immediate danger for example, they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose, or you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe you can contact 999 by using the Relay UK service . The service is provided for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired as an alternative option for contacting an emergency service.
Use the NHS111 online help service or phone NHS 111 if you need urgent help for your mental health, but it’s not an emergency - for example, if you need medication or a prescription and you're unable to contact your GP.