A fifth of British children say they cannot be their “true selves” at school

A survey of 1,000 children aged six to 11 found that 47% had found themselves in situations where they were unsure whether friends were joking or actually being cruel.

A third admitted feeling out of place at times, leading to feelings of sadness, discomfort and awkwardness.

The study found that 29% feared being teased at school because of their clothing choices, while 38% developed worrying concerns about their appearance after hearing a mean comment and 22% were worried about their appearance.

Up to 37% have experienced bullying from their peers, and six in ten have seen it happen to their classmates.

The survey was commissioned by Monster High in collaboration with the Anti-Bullying Alliance to support its mission, Project Belonging, and to support children and parents in their efforts to reduce bullying.

The research, conducted via OnePoll, found that 22% feel like they can’t truly be themselves because of fear of what others will think.

Kelly Philp, a spokesperson for Mattel UK, said: “We want to contribute to a world where every child is proud to be their authentic self and embrace their uniqueness. We have partnered with the Anti-Bullying Alliance to support their mission to stop bullying and promote children’s sense of belonging.”

“The results suggest that a third of children in the UK are afraid of not fitting in, and this is causing children to avoid school, change their path and worry about how they look.”

“Through this partnership, we have created resources for children and parents to give them the support to address these issues and make them feel like they belong.”

The survey found that bullying made 39% of children afraid to go to school for fear of being teased. Shockingly, 14% even refused to attend their educational institution due to bullying.

Still, an overwhelming 95% believe it is important to respect others, and 80% have received advice from their parents to treat their classmates with respect at school.

Children were found to be most likely to confide in their mother (73%) before their father (49%) or teacher (41%) when they are being teased. Worryingly, however, 75% do not believe their parents are fully aware of the extent of bullying at their school, and 59% say the same about their teachers.

As schools prepare to celebrate ‘Choose Respect’ during Anti-Bullying Week (November 11-15), Martha Evans, Director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said: “These findings are worrying and show that many children “Be afraid of exclusion and bullying,” which can have lasting effects.”

“This Anti-Bullying Week, we can change the narrative by choosing respect to create safer, inclusive spaces where all children belong. Adults need to lead by example and show respect in action.”