Bullying guide aims to help confused and concerned parents

The Parents Advice Centre is to release a booklet on Tuesday which offers advice on recognising signs of bullying, coping with bullied children and dealing with schools.

The charity said Bullying: A Toolkit for Parents was produced in response to requests from confused and concerned parents.

More than 50,000 copies of the Department of Education-funded booklet are being offered to schools and distributed through various parenting networks.

Pip Jaffa of the Parents Advice Centre said bullying can be frightening and demoralising for children.

"School bullying in the extreme can have serious consequences for children, leading to academic under-achievement, physical and emotional distress, eating disorders and truancy," she said.

She said she hoped the booklet would help parents to tackle the problem successfully and with confidence.

In October, a survey suggested that a quarter of 10 and 11-year-olds have experienced some form of bullying at school.

However, the Schools Health Education Unit, an independent statistics group, said the overall level of the problem has declined steadily over the past five years.

Copies of the booklet can be requested on 028 90 310891.