Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support children experiencing mental health issues due to bullying.

Schools must take a strong stand against all forms of bullying and should tackle bullying at the earliest opportunity to prevent it from escalating, particularly given the impact it can have on pupils, both emotionally and physically. It is up to schools to develop their own anti-bullying strategies to suit their specific needs and are held to account by Ofsted.

​​The department provides advice to support schools with addressing incidents of bullying. The guidance is clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs. This guidance is accessible at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/625ee64cd3bf7f6004339db8/Preventing_and_tackling_bullying_advice.pdf.

Further resource includes the Respectful School Communities toolkit, which can be found on the Educate Against Hate website: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.

The department knows that children experiencing bullying are more susceptible to mental health challenges. The government will work to ensure the right support is available to every young person that needs it, including providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.

The department has launched a mental health leads resource hub to help schools select the most effective evidence-based support options, including a range of resources that focus on supporting the wellbeing of those who have experienced bullying. This is available at: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/.