Alex's Answer

Hey, thanks for taking the time to reach out to Ask Alex! 

Bullying or physical abuse at any age is never okay! Every young person has the right to feel safe and to be treated with respect. Bullying can take many shapes and forms and can include things like verbal abuse and name-calling, ignoring or excluding someone, cyberbullying, as well as physically hurting someone.  No matter what form bullying takes it is not okay and we would be concerned for any young person who is being bullied.  

Physical abuse involves a person using physical force against another person which causes or could cause them harm. Some examples of physical abuse could be slapping, hitting, pinching and kicking. You can read more about abuse here: www.childline.ie/what-is-abuse/ . Physically abusing someone is wrong, and as with bullying we would be really concerned for any young person who is being physically abused.  

No one has the right to bully or to physically abuse someone else and this is something that should be taken really seriously and if you or someone you know is being bullied/physically abused, we would suggest that you reach out to an adult that you trust like a parent, an uncle or aunt, or even a sports coach. The most important thing is that you talk to someone that you feel comfortable talking to. Anyone being bullied/physically abused deserves to be heard and has the right to speak up about it! 

If you ever feel that you are in immediate danger, you can contact the emergency services on 112 or 999 for free on any mobile phone or landline.     

You might find these articles about bullying helpful: www.childline.ie/what-to-do-if-someone-bullies-you-at-school/; www.childline.ie/5-great-tips-on-how-to-avoid-being-affected-by-bullying/ and www.childline.ie/what-to-do-if-youre-being-cyberbullied/ .  

You can also call Childline on 1800 66 66 66 or use our Live Chat service at www.childline.ie. The Childline team is here to listen 24 hours a day, every day. Our services are free, confidential and non-judgemental. We are always here for you, and we want you to know that we care and that we are more than happy to talk to you about whatever you are experiencing.  

We hope that this has been useful for you and thanks again for reaching out! 

Alex