Is bullying a safeguarding issue?
Yes. Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) 2026 lists bullying, including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying, first in its list of the forms child-on-child abuse can take (paragraph 37). It says all staff should know that child-on-child abuse is a safeguarding issue for both the victim and the alleged perpetrator (paragraph 35).
KCSIE also says serious bullying can be part of emotional abuse (paragraph 27).
The DfE’s advice Preventing and tackling bullying (July 2017) gives the child protection threshold. Where there is “reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm”, a bullying incident should be addressed as a child protection concern under the Children Act 1989. Staff should discuss it with the DSL, who reports it to the local authority’s children’s social care.
So most bullying is handled through the behaviour policy. But every incident is a welfare concern, and staff should share it with the DSL.
What the law requires
Maintained schools and PRUs. Section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 says the headteacher must determine measures to encourage good behaviour and respect for others and, “in particular, preventing all forms of bullying among pupils”. The measures must include rules and disciplinary penalties (section 89(4)), and form the school’s behaviour policy.
Academies and independent schools. Paragraph 10 of the Independent School Standards is met if the proprietor makes sure bullying is prevented, as far as reasonably practicable, by “the drawing up and implementation of an effective anti-bullying strategy”.
Equality Act 2010. Schools must not discriminate against, harass or victimise pupils. State schools must also meet the public sector equality duty. KCSIE asks schools to watch for pupils at greater risk of bullying linked to sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race or religion (paragraph 103).
Off-site bullying. Sections 90 and 91 of the 2006 Act let schools discipline pupils for conduct outside school, such as on the bus or online, where it is reasonable to do so. The DfE says reported off-site bullying should be investigated and acted on.
Criminal law. Bullying isn’t a specific criminal offence. But some of what happens in bullying can be, such as assault, harassment, threats, hate crime, or making or sharing sexual images of children. If staff think an offence may have been committed, they should ask the police for help.
What counts as bullying
The DfE defines bullying as behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another person or group, physically or emotionally. It often involves an imbalance of power. That imbalance can be physical, psychological, the support of a group, or the ability to isolate someone.
Bullying is often motivated by prejudice, for example about race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or SEND, or because a child is adopted, in care or has caring responsibilities. KCSIE adds that:
- children with SEND are more prone to bullying, and may not show signs of it (paragraph 249)
- children who are, or are thought to be, lesbian, gay or bisexual, and children questioning their gender, can be vulnerable to discriminatory bullying (paragraphs 253 and 257)
The DfE warns that offensive language dismissed as “banter” can stop pupils reporting other behaviour. KCSIE 2026 makes the same point about sexual harassment (paragraph 34).
When it crosses the threshold
Take it to the DSL straight away, and consider a referral, when bullying involves:
- sexual behaviour, such as sexual harassment, sexual comments or touching, or making or sharing nudes, including AI-generated images. Use KCSIE Part five. See harmful sexual behaviour and sharing nudes.
- violence, or carrying or threatening with a weapon (KCSIE paragraph 51)
- serious or sustained emotional harm, such as a child who is frightened to come to school, or is self-harming or talking about suicide. See suicide and self-harm.
- coercion or exploitation, such as being made to carry items, hand over money or do things for older pupils
- hate crime, or abuse that targets a protected characteristic
- a pupil who bullies because of harm at home, such as abuse, neglect or domestic abuse
Remember that the child doing the bullying may need support as well as sanctions. The DfE expects schools to tackle the underlying issues.
Recording and responding
- Make the child safe now. Stopping violence and making sure the child is physically safe comes first.
- Record it. Write down what was reported, in the child’s own words, with dates, who was involved and where. For online bullying, describe what was seen, but never copy, print or share nude or semi-nude images. See how to record a safeguarding concern.
- Tell the DSL about anything that may be a safeguarding concern.
- Support the child being bullied, including pastoral or external support, whether or not it meets the child protection threshold.
- Act on the behaviour under your behaviour policy. Bullying is one of the reasons the exclusion guidance gives that may warrant suspension or permanent exclusion (paragraph 16).
- Look for patterns. Ask whether the same pupils, places, forms or online spaces keep coming up. Good recording helps you meet the public sector equality duty too (KCSIE paragraph 102).
KCSIE 2026 is clear that “all forms of bullying, for whatever reason, are unacceptable”. Schools “must take a strong, proactive stand against all forms of bullying” and tackle it at the earliest opportunity, before it escalates (paragraph 259).
Is the DfE guidance up to date?
Preventing and tackling bullying (July 2017) is still the current DfE advice, and KCSIE 2026 links to it. On 9 July 2026 the DfE removed its separate 2014 cyberbullying advice for headteachers and school staff from GOV.UK, saying it has been replaced. The page doesn’t say what replaced it (checked 20 October 2026). In the meantime, Behaviour in schools (February 2024) covers online behaviour, including bullying, and KCSIE 2026 covers online abuse and cyberbullying.