The government has put anti-bullying strategies in place

The Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) found 25% of boys aged 10 to 11 interviewed last year had experienced problems during the previous month.

This compares with 30% in 1997. For girls the figure fell from 28% to 25%.

The SHEU, which interviewed 40,000 children across the UK, included name-calling and violence in its definitions of bullying.

'Better at reporting problems'

In contrast to these findings, the proportion of pupils questioned who had been scared to go to school because of bullying increased slightly.

The SHEU found 40% of girls had been affected at some time, up from 35% in 1997. The proportion of boys - went from 24% to 25%.

SHEU's research manager, Dr David Regis, said: "I wouldn't have thought this would be the case, with the government putting lots of anti-bullying strategies in place.

"It could be that children are getting better at reporting problems."

But those slightly older children who had moved on to secondary school said they were happier with themselves.

The SHEU found that 51% of boys aged 12 to 13 had "very high" self-esteem, up from 37% in 1987.