PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Make bullying a criminal offence and give bullying a legal definition.
There must be a legal definition for bullying in order to avoid any confusion or reluctance to identify when bullying is happening and to take action. Bullying should be a criminal offence in order to protect our young people and the most vulnerable in society from suffering at the hands of bullies.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
7
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 7/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 7/100,000
Background
Currently, only the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988 offer victims of bullying some legal protection against bullies. However, these acts do not reflect a modern, digital world where young people are always contactable.
Suicide as a result of bullying is increasing. Physical harm as a result of bullying is increasing.
We need to support schools to stop bullying by criminalising activity that causes harm, giving them the power to take action.