This article was written by a Kooth worker (she/her) and contains the following themes: friendship, bullying.

If you’re worried about a friend who is being bullied, it can be really hard to know what to do and how to help them. Being bullied can make someone feel pretty alone, so having a supportive friend can be really comforting. The fact you are reading this now tells us that, while your friend might be having a difficult time, they are certainly lucky to have a good friend in their corner.

What is bullying?

Bullying is when a person, or a group of people, intentionally hurts another person or group by what they say or do. Here are some examples:

• teasing or name calling
• hurting someone physically
• posting unkind things online
• threatening someone
• forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do

There’s often an imbalance of power when bullying takes place. For example, bullying often occurs when someone hurts or scares someone smaller or less powerful.

For those who have experienced bullying, it can be frightening and lonely, so having a good friend for support can be so helpful. If you want to be a supportive friend, take a look at our top tips.

Here are our top three tips on helping a friend who is being bullied.

1. Let them know you care

Simple things go a long way to let someone know you care about them. You could:

• help them feel less alone by listening to them if they’re sad, angry, or frustrated
• check in on them to see how they’re doing
• take their mind off things by doing something they enjoy
• give them a confidence boost by reminding them how amazing they are

2. Encourage them to tell an adult they trust

People who are being bullied sometimes don’t want to tell anyone, especially not an adult. There might be many reasons for this, including fear, shame, embarrassment, or being worried about what will happen as a result. While all these feelings are important, getting some support from an adult is often really helpful, and can lead to the bullying being stopped for good.

You could also:

• encourage them to keep evidence – this could be screenshots, voice notes, social media posts, and anything else that is proof of what has been happening
• tell them how helpful reporting issues on social media can be – you can report any photos, comments, or anything else that appears online that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe
• tell them about other ways they can respond to bullying online – for example, they could block users online, so they can no longer get in contact
• offer to go with them to tell an adult – this could be a teacher, family member, or another adult they trust
• support them to come to Kooth, so they can practise talking it through with an adult while remaining anonymous

3. Tell an adult yourself

If your friend doesn’t want to tell anyone, try not to promise to keep it a secret. It might feel like you’re breaking their trust if you tell someone, but just remember that if your friend is at risk of harm from anyone at all, telling an adult can really help.