Persistent Bullying Is One Of The Worst Experiences A Child Can Face. How Can It Be Prevented? - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 06 Academic Reading Test 4 · Part 3 · Questions 27–40
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 on the following pages.
Persistent bullying is one of the worst experiences a child can face. How can it be prevented?
Peter Smith, Professor of Psychology at the University of Sheffield, directed the Sheffield Anti-Bullying Intervention Project, funded by the Department for Education. Here he reports on his findings.
A Bullying can take a variety of forms, from the verbal - being taunted or called hurtful names - to the physical - being kicked or shoved - as well as indirect forms, such as being excluded from social groups. A survey I conducted with Irene Whitney found that in British primary schools up to a quarter of pupils reported experience of bullying, which in about one in ten cases was persistent. There was less bullying in secondary schools, with about one in twenty-five suffering persistent bullying, but these cases may be particularly recalcitrant.
B Bullying is clearly unpleasant, and can make the child experiencing it feel unworthy and depressed. In extreme cases it can even lead to suicide, though this is thankfully rare. Victimised pupils are more likely to experience difficulties with interpersonal relationships as adults, while children who persistently bully are more likely to grow up to be physically violent, and convicted of anti-social offences.
C Until recently, not much was known about the topic, and little help was available to teachers to deal with bullying. Perhaps as a consequence, schools would often deny the problem. 'There is no bullying at this school' has been a common refrain, almost certainly untrue. Fortunately more schools are now saying: 'There is not much bullying here, but when it occurs we have a clear policy for dealing with it.'
D Three factors are involved in this change. First is an awareness of the severity of the problem. Second, a number of resources to help tackle bullying have become available in Britain. For example, the Scottish Council for Research in Education produced a package of materials, Action Against Bullying, circulated to all schools in England and Wales as well as in Scotland in summer 1992, with a second pack, Supporting Schools Against Bullying, produced the following year. In Ireland, Guidelines on Countering Bullying Behaviour in Post-Primary Schools was published in 1993. Third, there is evidence that these materials work, and that schools can achieve something. This comes from carefully conducted 'before and after' evaluations of interventions in schools, monitored by a research team. In Norway, after an intervention campaign was introduced nationally, an evaluation of forty-two schools suggested that, over a two-year period, bullying was halved. The Sheffield investigation, which involved sixteen primary schools and seven secondary schools, found that most schools succeeded in reducing bullying.
E Evidence suggests that a key step is to develop a policy on bullying, saying clearly what is meant by bullying, and giving explicit guidelines on what will be done if it occurs, what records will be kept, who will be informed, what sanctions will be employed. The policy should be developed through consultation, over a period of time - not just imposed from the head teacher's office! Pupils, parents and staff should feel they have been involved in the policy, which needs to be disseminated and implemented effectively.
Other actions can be taken to back up the policy. There are ways of dealing with the topic through the curriculum, using video, drama and literature. These are useful for raising awareness, and can best be tied in to early phases of development, while the school is starting to discuss the issue of bullying. They are also useful in renewing the policy for new pupils, or revising it in the light of experience. But curriculum work alone may only have short-term effects; it should be an addition to policy work, not a substitute.
There are also ways of working with individual pupils, or in small groups. Assertiveness training for pupils who are liable to be victims is worthwhile, and certain approaches to group bullying such as 'no blame', can be useful in changing the behaviour of bullying pupils without confronting them directly, although other sanctions may be needed for those who continue with persistent bullying.
Work in the playground is important, too. One helpful step is to train lunchtime supervisors to distinguish bullying from playful fighting, and help them break up conflicts. Another possibility is to improve the playground environment, so that pupils are less likely to be led into bullying from boredom or frustration.
F With these developments, schools can expect that at least the most serious kinds of bullying can largely be prevented. The more effort put in and the wider the whole school involvement, the more substantial the results are likely to be. The reduction in bullying - and the consequent improvement in pupil happiness - is surely a worthwhile objective.
Questions
Questions 27–30 Matching Headings
Reading Passage 3 has six sections, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for sections A-D from the list of headings below.
i. The role of video violence
ii. The failure of government policy
iii. Reasons for the increased rate of bullying
iv. Research into how common bullying is in British schools
v. The reaction from schools to enquiries about bullying
vi. The effect of bullying on the children involved
vii. Developments that have led to a new approach by schools
Questions 31–34 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Questions 35–39 Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
What steps should schools take to reduce bullying?
The most important step is for the school authorities to produce a 35 which makes the school's attitude towards bullying quite clear. It should include detailed 36 as to how the school and its staff will react if bullying occurs.
In addition, action can be taken through the 37 . This is particularly useful in the early part of the process, as a way of raising awareness and encouraging discussion. On its own, however, it is insufficient to bring about a permanent solution.
Effective work can also be done with individual pupils and small groups. For example, potential 38 of bullying can be trained to be more self-confident. Or again, in dealing with group bullying, a 'no blame' approach, which avoids confronting the offender too directly, is often effective.
Playground supervision will be more effective if members of staff are trained to recognise the difference between bullying and mere 39 .
Questions 40–40 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q27 | iv | A survey I conducted with Irene Whitney found that in British primary schools up to a quarter of pupils reported experience of bullying, which in about one in ten cases was persistent. There was less bullying in secondary schools, with about one in twenty-five suffering persistent bullying, but these cases may be particularly recalcitrant | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that a study was done in British schools. It gives specific numbers to show how many students are bullied, which helps us understand how often the problem happens. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the first section of the text describes a study (research) that shows how often bullying happens in schools in Britain. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because Section A focuses on the results of a 'survey', which is a type of research. It mentions specific locations like 'British primary schools' and provides numbers such as 'a quarter of pupils' and 'one in ten' to show how 'common' or frequent bullying behaves. This provides statistical data about the prevalence of the issue in the British school system. |
| Q28 | vi | Bullying is clearly unpleasant, and can make the child experiencing it feel unworthy and depressed. In extreme cases it can even lead to suicide, though this is thankfully rare. Victimised pupils are more likely to experience difficulties with interpersonal relationships as adults, while children who persistently bully are more likely to grow up to be physically violent, and convicted of anti-social offences | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that bullying makes children feel bad, sad, and lonely. It also explains that these children often have problems when they grow up. The text even mentions that the children who bully others will face problems when they are older, such as acting in a violent way. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the selected part of the text describes how bullying changes or harms the children who are a part of it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'vi' because Section B describes the negative results for both the victim (the child being bullied) and the bully (the child doing the bullying). It explains that victims may feel sad or have trouble with friends later in life, while bullies may become violent adults. These are all 'effects' on the 'children involved' in bullying. Key words like 'unpleasant', 'depressed', and 'victimised' help show how the children are affected. |
| Q29 | v | Perhaps as a consequence, schools would often deny the problem. 'There is no bullying at this school' has been a common refrain, almost certainly untrue. Fortunately more schools are now saying: 'There is not much bullying here, but when it occurs we have a clear policy for dealing with it.' | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that schools used to say bullying didn't exist at their school, but now they admit it happens and tell people they have a clear plan to stop it when it occurs. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Section C focuses on how schools respond when people ask about bullying problems within their walls. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because Section C describes how schools once reacted to the issue of bullying by trying to hide it or saying it never happened. It then compares this to how schools react today, by admitting it happens sometimes and explaining their rules for fixing it. The word 'reaction' refers to these different ways schools speak about and handle the problem when they are asked about it. Synonyms for reaction here include 'deny' and 'refrain' (past reaction) and 'saying' (current reaction). |
| Q30 | vii | Three factors are involved in this change. First is an awareness of the severity of the problem. Second, a number of resources to help tackle bullying have become available in Britain Third, there is evidence that these materials work, and that schools can achieve something |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage lists three reasons why schools have changed their behavior. These reasons are: understanding that bullying is a serious problem, getting new helpful tools and books, and seeing proof that these new ways of working really help schools stop bullying. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Section D explains the specific reasons and events that helped schools start using better ways to deal with bullying. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is vii because Section D describes "Three factors" that led to a "change" in how schools handle the problem. These factors (or developments) include: an awareness of how serious bullying is, the creation of new "resources" (like books and guides) to help teachers, and "evidence" from research and evaluations in Norway and Sheffield that proves these new methods actually work. These specific changes justify the heading about "developments" leading to a "new approach." |
| Q31 | B | There was less bullying in secondary schools, with about one in twenty-five suffering persistent bullying, but these cases may be particularly recalcitrant | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that there are fewer instances of bullying in schools for older children (secondary) than in schools for younger children, even if the bullying that does happen there is harder to stop. Answer Explanation: The answer means that bullying is not as common in older student schools as it is in younger student schools. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the passage directly compares the amount of bullying found in the two types of schools. In Paragraph A, the author mentions a survey showing that about 25% of primary school children experienced bullying. It then states that secondary schools had 'less bullying,' with a lower number (one in twenty-five) experiencing long-term bullying. The words 'less' and 'primary schools' are the key terms to look for in the text to confirm this comparison. |
| Q32 | D | Victimised pupils are more likely to experience difficulties with interpersonal relationships as adults | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explained that children who are targets of bullying often find it difficult to have healthy or smooth friendships and social connections when they grow up to be adults. Answer Explanation: The answer highlights that children who suffer from bullying might face challenges in building or maintaining social connections once they reach adulthood. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the text states that 'victimised pupils'—another way to say children who are bullied—are more likely to have problems with 'interpersonal relationships' when they become 'adults.' This means they may struggle to make friends or get along with others later in life. Choice A is incorrect because the text says suicide is 'rare' without providing a specific 'twice as likely' statistic. Choice C is wrong because it is the persistent bullies, not the victims, who are described as more likely to become physically violent later. |
| Q33 | D | Until recently, not much was known about the topic, and little help was available to teachers to deal with bullying. Perhaps as a consequence, schools would often deny the problem. 'There is no bullying at this school' has been a common refrain, almost certainly untrue | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that because information was limited and teachers did not have enough help, schools often pretended bullying was not happening by claiming there was none in their building. Answer Explanation: The answer means that schools said they had no bullying because they did not know enough about the problem and did not have the right tools or help to handle it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by paragraph C, which explains that in the past, 'not much was known' about bullying and 'little help was available' to teachers. The writer notes that as a 'consequence' (a result) of these missing pieces, schools would often deny the problem by saying 'There is no bullying at this school.' In this explanation, 'not much was known' refers to a lack of knowledge, and 'little help was available' refers to a lack of resources. |
| Q34 | A | In Norway, after an intervention campaign was introduced nationally, an evaluation of forty-two schools suggested that, over a two-year period, bullying was halved | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that in Norway, after starting a country-wide plan to stop bullying, a study of forty-two schools showed that bullying was cut in half over two years. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the amount of bullying dropped by half in Norway after they tried a new program to stop it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text describes a study in Norway where they used an "intervention campaign" (a plan to help improve a situation) to try to stop bullying. The results showed that, in forty-two schools over two years, bullying was "halved." Since "halved" means to reduce something by 50%, this directly matches the answer choice. |
| Q35 | policy | Evidence suggests that a key step is to develop a policy on bullying, saying clearly what is meant by bullying, and giving explicit guidelines on what will be done if it occurs, what records will be kept, who will be informed, what sanctions will be employed | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that an essential first action is for a school to create a written plan (a policy) that clearly defines bullying and outlines the specific actions the school will take if it happens. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'policy,' which refers to a formal set of rules or a plan of action that a school creates to handle specific problems. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'policy' because Section E of the passage states that a 'key step' (another way to say 'the most important step') is to create a specific set of rules regarding bullying. This document explains exactly what the school considers to be bullying and what steps they will take when it happens, which matches the summary's description of making the school's 'attitude' clear. |
| Q36 | explicit guidelines / guidelines | Evidence suggests that a key step is to develop a policy on bullying, saying clearly what is meant by bullying, and giving explicit guidelines on what will be done if it occurs, what records will be kept, who will be informed, what sanctions will be employed | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that an important action is to create a school policy. This policy must define what bullying is and provide clear, direct instructions (guidelines) regarding the actions the school will take if bullying happens, such as which records to keep and how to punish the behavior. Answer Explanation: The answer means clear and specific instructions or rules that tell people exactly how to act in a certain situation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'explicit guidelines' because the passage explains that a school's bullying policy needs to provide very clear steps on how to respond when a bullying event happens. In paragraph E, the text mentions providing 'explicit guidelines on what will be done if it occurs.' The word 'explicit' matches the summary's word 'detailed,' as both mean very clear and thorough. |
| Q37 | school curriculum / curriculum | There are ways of dealing with the topic through the curriculum, using video, drama and literature But curriculum work alone may only have short-term effects; it should be an addition to policy work, not a substitute |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage suggests that schools can use their regular lessons to talk about bullying. It also says that while these lessons are helpful, they are not enough by themselves and cannot replace a permanent school policy. Answer Explanation: The answer is the list of subjects or the official set of lessons taught in a school. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from Paragraph E, which discusses actions schools can take besides making a policy. It mentions that lessons (the curriculum) using things like books or videos can help students start talking about bullying. However, the text notes that doing this alone is not enough for a long-lasting fix, as it might only have 'short-term effects'. The summary uses 'insufficient' to match the idea that curriculum work alone is not enough. |
| Q38 | victims | Assertiveness training for pupils who are liable to be victims is worthwhile, and certain approaches to group bullying such as 'no blame', can be useful in changing the behaviour of bullying pupils without confronting them directly, although other sanctions may be needed for those who continue with persistent bullying | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that teaching children how to be brave and speak up (assertiveness training) is helpful for those who are likely to be bullied (victims). It also notes that some methods can help change a bully's behavior without being angry or aggressive toward them directly. Answer Explanation: The answer "victims" refers to the students who are targeted, hurt, or treated badly by bullies. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "victims" because the passage suggests giving "assertiveness training" to pupils who are "liable to be victims." In the summary, "trained to be more self-confident" is a synonym for the goal of "assertiveness training," and "potential" is a synonym for "liable to be." This indicates that the training is meant for children who are most likely to be bullied. |
| Q39 | playful fighting | One helpful step is to train lunchtime supervisors to distinguish bullying from playful fighting, and help them break up conflicts | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that schools should teach the people who watch the playground how to see the difference between children being mean and children just playing a rough game together. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to physical play that might look like fighting but is actually friendly and done for fun. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'playful fighting' because the author suggests that training staff to tell the difference between actual bullying and friendly playing is a helpful step in managing playground behavior. The passage uses the word 'distinguish' as a synonym for 'recognise the difference between' in the summary. By learning to spot 'playful fighting,' supervisors can react appropriately without confusing game-playing with harmful behavior. |
| Q40 | D | Perhaps as a consequence, schools would often deny the problem. 'There is no bullying at this school' has been a common refrain, almost certainly untrue. Fortunately more schools are now saying: 'There is not much bullying here, but when it occurs we have a clear policy for dealing with it.' With these developments, schools can expect that at least the most serious kinds of bullying can largely be prevented |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that while schools used to pretend bullying wasn't happening, they are now creating better rules to handle it and using new methods to ensure the most serious bullying is stopped before it gets worse. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the most appropriate title as one that highlights the change from schools poorly handling bullying to schools actively taking steps to stop it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the entire passage describes a transition in how schools handle bullying. Initially, schools often ignored or denied the problem, but the text explains how awareness and new resources have led to effective 'interventions' and 'policies.' It details various methods—like curriculum changes, training for supervisors, and group work—specifically designed to reduce and stop bullying, which aligns with 'prevention.' |