While many children may feel that bullying is relatively harmless, the fact is it can destroy lives and it needs to be stopped. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on teachers to spot the signs of bullying, and if a tutor does sense something is going on, it should be looked into urgently.

Every school has their own bullying policy, and teachers should be familiar with the rules. A child may have to be suspended, expelled or offered a series of detentions. The victim should be given the opportunity to share their side of the story, and in extreme cases, the teacher may have to speak to the victim’s parents and the bully’s parents.

Any behaviour that can be deemed as bullying should be dealt with immediately, while a warning should be put in place to deter the child from any misbehaviour in the future. Fast, firm and fair action can stop bullying in the classroom, and it’s up to the teacher to take control of the situation before it becomes a serious problem.