There are many issues in the news that involve bullying and bad things that happen, aswell as people being affected from people bullying them.
Bullying is happening everywhere and the chances that you will encounter it are high. Around the world bullying is big particularly within schools and online in cyber space.
With all schools talking about bullying and the media regularly reporting on latest research, it could seem like we're in a bullying epidemic. But, it's not all bad - the incidence of bullying, particularly the traditional face-to-face style, according to expert Dr Toni Noble, is not increasing.
"It's a controversial area but with the effective communication of the message that bullying is unacceptable, it's just now more likely to be reported," says Dr Noble, a member of the National Centre Against Bullying, who works with the Federal Government on National Safe Schools Framework being rolled out into all schools later this year.
"Cyber-bullying, on the other hand may be increasing with recent research suggesting that 1 in 10 kids have been cyber-bullied."
Here is why bullying, and policies and strategies to combat it, are such a high priority for communities and governments.
• One student in every four in Australian schools is affected by bullying, says recent research commissioned by the Federal Government.
• An estimated 200 million children and youth around the world are being bullied by their peers, according to the 2007 Kandersteg Declaration Against Bullying in Children and Youth.
• Kids who are bullied are three times more likely to show depressive symptoms, says the Centre for Adolescent Health.
• Children who were bullied were up to nine times more likely to have suicidal thoughts, say some