We CAN beat a bit of bully!

The shocking statistic was revealed in a small scale survey of 400 pupils piloted by the County Council in June and July.

"It is painfully revealing, but we're pleased that pupils had the confidence to admit what they have done and the ability to recognise it as bullying," says Ken Stevenson, Dorset County Council's Principal Inspector for Inclusion.

"In order to address the issue we have to know the extent of the problem, so it's a big step to ask children if they have bullied others. Now we have some findings - and this was very small scale research - we have to take steps to deal with it.

"We worked with young people on shaping the questions after an Ofsted survey revealed the one thing that most concerns our school children is bullying.

"We've set ourselves a target of reducing bullying and we'll undertake a more representative annual survey of schools in order to assess our progress."

As schools across the county display anti-bullying posters and information this week during National Anti-Bullying Week, the message is clear - bullying will not be tolerated.

But Mr Stevenson is keen to point out that schools are commited to stamping out bullying in all forms by working with bullies to change their behaviour rather than excluding them from school and effectively shifting the problem elsewhere.

"We are accused of being soft on bulllies, but this is not a soft option.

"What is clear is that many bullies do not realise the impact their actions have. By working with them and bringing them to understand how their behaviour affects others, they can change that behaviour. We have a much better chance of achieving that if we keep them in school.

"Of course, in the event that approach fails then we will not hesitate to use every sanction within our power."

Although the focus of Anti-Bullying Week is on schools, new research shows that bullying often starts outside school in the community and typically includes extortion, intimidation, name-calling, cyber-bullying and barging-in (where a group of usually older children forcefully involve themselves in another group's activities, such as sport, intent on disruption or control).

This type of community bullying, which generally occurs at a few key sites like parks, shopping centres and streets, is of such significance that the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) quizzed 1,078 young people aged seven to 18 and found 35 per cent of them admitted being bullied outside school - four in 10 saying they found it more frightening as there were no adults around to help in those situations.

Interestingly, 55 per cent thought that half or more of the bullying carried out in school starts outside.

Sue Steel, the ABA's national co-ordinator, says: "Sometimes bullying spills into and out of schools, and while many children and young people feel able to turn to an adult for help, many still don't. We need to give them the support they need to change that."

This week Dorset schools will be displaying a new Say No To Bullying poster which carries a charter signed by the head teacher, the chair of the governors and a pupils' representative.

"Our research tells us as many as 30 per cent of school children say they have been or are being bullied and we are commited to reducing that figure," says Mr Stevenson.

"But it's probably also fair to say that a fair amount of bullying goes unreported and that is a problem. If we don't know about it we can't stop it. If a young person feels they are being bullied they must tell someone - every school has an anti-bullying co-ordinator, but if they can't tell a teacher or a parent then the poster gives a contact for Childline they can call.

"It's important they tell someone so they know they are not alone."

Among the Anti-Bullying Week initiatives across the county are Blue Friday at Henbury View First School in Corfe Mullen where children are wearing T-shirts they have designed themselves; and a series of presentations from pupils and parents at Blandford School.

Twynham School in Christchurch is holding special Friendship classes for pupils.

"There is a government initiative - Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning - that has been welcomed at schools extensively aimed at providing children with the skills they need to get along with others.

"It's very difficult to gauge, and we may not see the fruits of such schemes for a generation, but so far we've been very encouraged by the results."

Research has found that girls experience less bullying than boys, although this may be because bullying against girls is more discreet. The forms of bullying experienced by boys, such as name calling, barging-in and extortion, tend to be more physical and obvious.

"Girls do it more quietly, without the bravado of boys," says Sue Steel.

"It can be the type of bullying where girls will say to another: We're not going to be friends with you' - a type of ignoring bullying."

Bullying motivated by prejudice, such as that related to race, homophobia and disability, is just as likely to happen outside school, and conflict can also occur between two or more groups in the same area, with rivalries leading to intra-group bullying and violence.

Another key consideration is the rise of cyberbullying, which takes the form of malicious text messages or emails, or can involve setting up an abusive website or posting nasty messages or humiliating video clips on social networking sites.

Research has suggested that 22 per cent of young people have experienced cyberbullying at least once, and Sue Steel says: "The particularly upsetting thing about cyberbullying is that young people can't escape from it."

She stresses that the most important thing parents can do if they fear their child is being bullied anywhere is talk to them.

"Children and young people need to feel they can tell somebody if this is happening. Parents need to ask them how they feel about it, and what they want them to do.

"Children are often concerned that if they tell adults, they'll do the wrong thing.

"They have to be confident that their views about what's happening will be heard and respected."

She adds: "With Anti-Bullying Week we are aiming to give children and young people, teachers and parents the message that together we can stop it."