Anti-bullying charity "disturbed" by survey findings

The charity surveyed more than 1,000 parents who took part in its intensive assertiveness sessions for bullied children. A total of 86 per cent said the school had not acted to stop the bullying while 84 per cent said the school told them their child was "too sensitive".

Claude Knights, director of Kidscape, called the results "disturbing, although not surprising".

He added: "We have been running ZAP sessions for nearly 10 years and we are hearing the same stories over and over again. This research highlights the need to improve the way bullying is handled in schools so that every child can learn in a safe environment."

All of the parents surveyed said their child's self-confidence had been negatively affected by the bullying.

Kidscape was established in 1984. It's ZAP sessions are free one-day workshops.

This year's anti-bullying week, which begins on Monday, focuses on the theme of ‘being different, belonging together'. It aims to raise awareness about children who are bullied because they are different to their peers.