Anti-Bullying Week: Power For Good
Monday 10 November 2025
Have you been bullied because of your dyslexia?
If so, you’re not alone and that needs to change. Right now.
We’re exploring how young people with dyslexia experience exclusion and what we all can do to challenge it. Because every young person deserves to learn in an environment where difference isn’t just accepted, it’s valued. Where no one’s confidence is crushed because their brain works differently.
Anti-Bullying Week 2025
10–14 November | Theme: Power for Good
This year is about stepping up - using our voices and our actions to challenge bullying and build kinder, more respectful communities. And for the dyslexic community, this message couldn’t be more urgent.
Dyslexia: Misunderstood, and too often targeted
Our recent report, Set up for somebody else: Young people with dyslexia in the education system, uncovered troubling patterns in how dyslexic young people are treated. Misunderstanding breeds stigma. Stigma breeds exclusion. And exclusion can have lifelong consequences. Many young people we spoke to described feeling different, embarrassed, or constantly judged, not because of who they are, but because of how they learn.
These experiences don’t just hurt. They shape identity, confidence, and mental health.
“I don’t really ask for help much… partially because it makes me separate to everyone else, I don’t like being different”
Shocking statistics
From interviews with 500 young people with dyslexia:
- 59% said they have been teased or bullied because of their dyslexia
- 90% said life feels more challenging than it does for their peers
- 76% said dyslexia makes school harder
- 70% said dyslexia makes them feel bad about themselves
- 78% said other people assume they are not clever
These are not just statistics, they are young people’s lives
The impact on wellbeing
As one of the primary causes of bullying is being perceived as “different,” individuals with learning differences such as dyslexia may be at greater risk of experiencing such behaviour. That’s why this matters so much to us. Bullying, whether direct, verbal, or through social exclusion, has serious consequences. According to organisations like the NSPCC, children who are bullied are at increased risk of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
“We can change that narrative” - Amanda Hornby: Specialist Dyslexia Trainer
“I talk to many adults with dyslexia, and just mentioning their dyslexia often triggers an emotional response. They think back to times when they were made to feel inadequate simply because of how they learn. That’s bullying. And it often happens because the bully wasn’t educated about dyslexia.”
“Together, we can change that narrative. I see a future where, when I speak to adults with dyslexia, their response is a smile, a positive memory, not pain. That future feels far away, but we can bring it closer. Let’s start now. See dyslexia differently.”
So how do we change this?
Schools and educators:
- Make dyslexia training mandatory
- Celebrate different learning styles
- Intervene early, don’t leave young people to struggle
Parents and carers:
- Advocate loudly and proudly
- Model language that values difference
- Challenge myths when you hear them
Students:
- Speak up if you see bullying
- Be the friend who steps in
- Your voice is powerful, use it
Everyone:
- Believe dyslexic young people
- Don’t explain away their experiences
- Stand beside them, not above them
Get involved with the Power For Good Campaign
The Anti-Bullying Alliance is at the forefront of promoting a kinder world, encouraging people to speak up and challenge bullying wherever it occurs.
Find details on Anti-Bullying Week 2025
Pledge your support to use your Power for Good
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Let’s take this Anti-Bullying Week as an opportunity to use our power for good, speaking out against bullying and promoting understanding
References
NSPCC: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-cyberbullying#skip-to-content
Set up for someone else report: https://bit.ly/4gXvSBl
Effects of bullying: https://academiaworldnews.com/dyslexia-and-school-bullying/
Perceived differences: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12210411/