Help for victims of bullying

[cals]

Is there really no help out there for victims of bullying apart from reading material?
Daughter (12 yr) has been subjected to low level bullying for several years, with the occasional incident (like yestersays)of physical assult and damage to her uniform.
I have spoken with the deputy head, and the Education Welfare Service for Bham CC, and they offer nothing for victims of bullying.
I'm trying to find some support group that will help sustain my childs confidence, and give her tools to help deal with the bullying.
Believe it or not the best the Educ. Welfare service could suggest was "join a self defence class"!!

Have you contacted Kidscape? I'm gob smacked that your DD's school can not suggest anything. When my DD was getting harrassed by a group of girls her Head of House was fantastic. Her school also run a course of sessions for DC's that had suffered bullying from what I recall it run every half term to help supprt the DC's and helped empower them against the bullying. Hopefully Kidscape will be able to advise you.

That's the sort of support I was expecting from our school, and am gobsmacked at the lack of it.
When I suggested to the deputy that there must be lots of kids that suffer this constant low level abuse that would benefit from a support group he suggested that from their "research" this doesn't exist. I told him I thought he was living in cuckoo land!!

I'll have a look at Kidscape - thanks for that!

I also second contacting or looking on the webiste of Kidscape. It has lots of useful information on the webiste.

I am shocked, but not surprised that the deputy head thought that low level bulling didn't exist in his school. There is no such school. It is everywhere and it is up to him/the school to help pupils deal with it.

I wish you all luck.

It seems to be the same story everywhere, we seem to live in a country where bullies get of lightly and victims not given enough if any support. Yes, maybe good idea to teach ur child martial arts and tell her not to beafraid to use it. Also parents of bullies should b brought in by school and given stern warning too.

Don't all schools have to have a bullying policy? I would ask to see it and if there isn't one, I would complain.

If there was a physical assault involved I would (and did, some years ago) threaten to involve the police. The police might not be interested, but it's a brave deputy head who chooses to ignore that possibility.

Yes,sympathies to you.
Kidscape have a fantastic one day workshop which you have to apply for and a select few get chosen. It is extremely helpful. Techniques are taught to the child.
Best of luck

I know exactly how you feel. My daughter (now 15) has been bullied on and off for 7 years and on 3 occasions we were advised by the National Bullying Helpline (strongly advise you to contact them) and her godfather ( a Crown Court Judge) to involve the Police.
If you allow a physical assault to go unpunished/unrecorded that sends out all sorts of messages both to your daughter and the bullies; to your daughter it implies their behaviour was/is acceptable and to the bullies it reinforces to them how they can bully your child with impunity and, as such, will continue to damage your child. I would definitely involve the Police. Make a fuss and don't be 'fobbed off' by anyone until these bullies are sorted out. If no one makes a stand, where are we all headed? Good luck.