Teachers "in the wilderness" as they battle between banter and bullying
Nottingham Trent University and the Anti-Bullying Alliance found over a quarter of teachers think it's a serious problem within schools.
Last updated 13th Nov 2023
A Nottingham Trent University survey of nearly 900 UK teachers co-created with the Anti-Bullying Alliance, suggests that over a quarter of teachers (26%) think banter is a serious problem within their schools.
Almost 1 in 4 children (23%) said they are being frequently bullied face-to-face, with the situation even worse for those with special educational needs and disabilities (29%), or those from poorer families (28%).
The majority of teachers agreed there is a fine line of acceptability between banter and bullying.
Knowing when banter crosses the line into bullying is a challenge for teachers, as the overwhelming majority (84%) receive no training on the issue, and 64% say they have no school policy for dealing with banter to fall back on.
Martha Evans, Director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said that teachers are "often left in the wilderness" on how to deal with banter/bullying situations.
"Banter is a fun part of communication, but too often bullying behaviours are dismissed as ‘just banter’.
"Recognising the fine line between banter and bullying is crucial for the development and emotional well-being of our children.
"There are solutions out there and we need to start having conversations with children so they know how to stand up for themselves when a joke goes to far or when they see bullying happen to somebody else."
"We must empower educators with the confidence to support children, fostering an environment where every child's voice is heard and respected and we hope Anti-Bullying Week 2023: Make A Noise can help achieve this."
Professor Lucy Betts from Nottingham Trent University, who led the team researching the views of teachers, said:
“Our research has shown that there is a fine and subjective line between banter and bullying. In most cases, sharing jokes and banter with friends can be fun and can help strengthen these friendships.
"However, when the banter stops being funny or when it crosses the line of acceptability, these behaviours may become bullying.
"Therefore, we are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with the Anti-Bullying Alliance to develop resources for Anti-Bullying Week.”