Tell a trusted adult or school contact
Pupils can start with a class teacher, form tutor, pastoral lead, safeguarding lead or another trusted adult identified by the school. Parents and carers can use the contact route in the school’s anti-bullying or pastoral policy.
If the first person is unavailable, use another approved route. A pupil should not have to manage the behaviour alone while waiting for one particular adult.
What to include in a report
Describe the specific behaviour, dates or approximate times, places, people involved, witnesses, relevant online material and how the situation is affecting safety, attendance, learning or relationships. Separate what was seen directly from what someone else reported.
A short factual record is useful, but do not ask a child to keep engaging with harmful behaviour to collect more evidence. Save relevant messages or screenshots privately and follow school guidance for sharing them.
Explain any immediate safety concern
Tell the school if the pupil is frightened about break time, transport, a particular class, online contact or returning the next day. Mention threats, physical harm, coercion, discriminatory abuse, sexualised behaviour or image sharing promptly.
Where there is immediate danger, use emergency services. Serious safeguarding concerns should follow the school’s child-protection route rather than waiting for an ordinary anti-bullying review.
Ask what happens next
Ask who will review the concern, what immediate action is planned, when the pupil will be checked again and how the school will communicate with the family. Schools must protect information about other pupils, but they can explain their process and the support being provided.
Avoid demanding a particular sanction before the school has reviewed the information. Keep the discussion focused on safety, behaviour, procedure and follow-up.
Follow up if the behaviour continues
Keep a record of further incidents and agreed review dates. If the situation continues, contact the named school lead and ask how the response will be reviewed under the relevant policy.
Young people can also speak confidentially with the services listed on the support and safeguarding page. This website is not an incident-reporting service and should not receive pupil case details through its workshop form.