Children play down talent and quit activities for fear of being bullied

More than 90 per cent of youngsters say they have been bullied or seen someone bullied for being more talented than others, a survey carried out by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), part of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), revealed.

More than a quarter (27.3 per cent) of those aged between 11 and 16 have given up one of their favourite activities because of bullying, and almost half (49.5 per cent) have played down a talent for fear of being bullied – rising to 53 per cent among girls.

The research, released to mark the start of Anti-Bullying Week today, highlights how bullying can hold children back from achieving their full potential, the ABA said.

ABA chairman Ross Hendry said: “We know that bullying can lead to children missing school, failing exams, dropping out of sport, avoiding extra-curricular activities and limiting their life choices.

“It’s unacceptable that rather than celebrate their talent, they feel that they have to hide their gifts, purposely underachieve in crucial subjects and miss out on things they enjoy because of bullying.”

Despite the popularity of television talent shows, many children are scared to excel, with 11 per cent quitting singing, eight per cent drama and nine per cent dancing. Eight per cent of children have stopped competing in sport for fear of being bullied. Achievement in crucial academic subjects is also being stifled, the ABA found, with more than one in 10 (12 per cent) children playing down their ability in science.

Almost one in five girls (18.8 per cent) deliberately underachieve in maths to evade bullying.