Most secondary school children in Wales have either been bullied, threatened with violence or actually attacked, according to one teaching union.

A survey published by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, also suggests that a significant numbers of pupils are frightened of being bullied at school and believe teachers are unaware of the problem.

More than 2,500 secondary school pupils in England and Wales agreed to take part in the survey.

Of the total, a third said they had been bullied in the past twelve months.

Fears for safety

A quarter said they had been threatened with violence at school and more than one-in-ten said they had actually been attacked.

All schools are expected to have policies for preventing bullying but this latest research suggests that almost a third of pupils feel their teachers are unaware of bullying.

Added to fears inside the classroom, children also expressed fears for their safety outside of school.

A quarter said they were worried about travelling to and from school - a finding which will come as a blow for environmentalists campaigning to persuade motorists to abandon the school run.