Bullying and Young Carers

The lives of young carers can be significantly affected by their responsibility to care for a family member who has a physical illness or disability, mental health problem, sensory or learning disability or has issues with the misuse of drugs or alcohol.  Young carers are at risk of bullying for a variety of reasons.  Depending on responsibilities at home they may find themselves being unable to fully participate in school or after-school activities or ‘fun stuff'.  This can make it difficult to form relationships, hinder successful transitions or lead to educational difficulties.  Young carers may find themselves being bullied because of the differences or perceived differences in their family circumstances. A child who has the burden of all the household tasks may find it difficult to maintain a high level of personal presentation.  The family may have a very low income which affects the opportunity to take part in activities which have to be paid for, and may impact upon the child or young person to be able to ‘fit in' with fashion and labels or have the latest mobile phone. Powys Council in Wales reports the following statistics regarding young carers and bullying:   71% of young carers have been bullied   79% were called names   20% missed school as a result of bullying   33% did not tell turn to their teachers for help Barriers to telling that bullying is taking place: A desire to ‘fit in' and prevent drawing further attention to themselves. A lack of a trusting relationship with a member of staff at school due to sporadic attendance A concern about increasing the stress levels of parents A strong sense of self-reliance and independence that may come with their caring responsibilities A belief that bullying is a ‘low priority' compared to other issues in the young person's life.