New figures reveal more than half of people are victims of bullying

Children and adults are being urged to speak out in a bid to tackle bullying in schools and the workplace.

New figures, released for Stand Up to Bullying Day, show more than half of us will be the victim of bullying at some point in our lives.

The Diana Award, which commissioned the report, is now calling on people to share their experiences of bullying on social media, to shine a light on the issue and raise awareness.

18-year-old Reanne was the victim of bullying for five years at school:

"I got for the way I looked, for being different really and by different people. It affected me a lot because I felt like I was worthless, and it made me feel like I was out of place in the world.

"I didn't want to make friends, I didn't want to go out of the house. It wasn't just in person, either, it was also online.

"Becoming an Ambassador has really helped me a lot, it's made me gain a lot of confidence back and made me realise there are ways to get past it.

"I'm sharing my story really because I want other people to know that bullying is wrong and that if you're going through it you don't need to feel like you're alone in the world because there are other people who are going through it."

Of those who have been bullied, research has shown that Brits’ confidence (69%), self-esteem (65%), and their ability to be happy with themselves (46%) were likely to be most affected.

The Diana Award is now pushing for people to take a united stand against bullying.

Katie Wilmore is from the charity:

"A huge amount of people said it affected their ability to be happy with themselves so we think this is still a problem that needs everyone to take a stand a play a role and show that this is not acceptable and they're going to stand together as a community and call for kindness.

"Don't suffer in silence, make sure you speak out about it and make sure you stand up for others. If you see someone suffering, make sure you're standing up to it and reporting it.

"It does follow young people home into social media as well. So we would say if you see something on social media, make sure you are blocking the person who is saying an unkind comment, reporting it as well, taking a screenshot of it and speaking out about it as well."

The Diana Award wants people to engage on social media under the hashtag #StandUpToBullyingDay