 Find out how assertiveness training can help |
Being bullied at school makes life a misery for thousands of children who suffer verbal and physical abuse day in, day out.
The natural instinct of many parents is to tell children to fight back - but that can often land them in much deeper trouble
Now, the children's charity Kidscape says that assertiveness training can be much more effective than resorting to fisticuffs.
The organisation is launching a new video today for schools, to publicise its special assertiveness course, called ZAP.
Breakfast's Yvonne Ndege found out more from Kidscape's director Michele Elliott and two victims of bullying.
Kidscape tested its assertiveness trainining programme on 750 children who had been bullied.
Its research suggests that nearly 80 per cent of them found bullying improved dramatically - and many children who had been playing truant found the courage to go back to school.
If you want specific information on the Zap training programme, please click on the link below
'Bully Free: Be Safe, Be Smart' is designed to help children build their confidence and includes role playing based on actual incidents.
The Zap course aims to reduce bullying by boosting confidence and increasing assertiveness.
Kidscape's director Michelle Eliot told Breakfast: "We tell the children - you don't deserve to be bullied. You are the innocent victim and these bullies are cowards."
She explained how, simply by walking tall, children can avoid the attention of bullies looking for a victim.
"We taught them how to say no, how to stand tall and tell the bullies to go away."
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click here to watch Breakfast's interview live from Acland Burley School in London, where they've used the scheme 
