'Snitches Get Stitches': Why most bullied young people don't disclose incidents of bullying and harassment

Bullying is a complex, emotive issue impacting young people. In this chapter, we present current research on traditional and cyberbullying. We discuss the prevalence of bullying across the globe, taking note of points of difference including those related to culture, age and gender. This chapter highlights the extensive problem that bullying is for young people, with research suggesting young people are likely to have been or likely to know someone who has been impacted by bullying behaviours. Consequences related to bullying are also considered within this chapter, with short and long-term concerns noted. With prevalence and consequences well established, the question we pose moves towards understanding who young people seek advice and assistance from when experiencing bullying. Currently, young people are encouraged to tell an adult about bullying. Bullying prevention and intervention programs situated within educational contexts insist the ‘best’ way to deal with bullying is by reporting it to adults. This chapter highlights a concern noted in the literature base, that children are reluctant to approach adults and tell them about bullying. This creates a concerning conflict, with advice from educational institutions and lived experiences of young people clashing. This chapter presents reasons as to why young people are hesitant to discuss bullying with adults, including feeling ashamed, concerns about escalation, not wishing to be labelled a snitch and not wanting to worry their parents. It is discussed that young people would prefer to tell a peer over an adult, in direct contrast to what is being promoted in bullying education programs. This suggests adults are not listening to the voices of young people, and recommendations are given for next steps to ensure programs are tailored to the very people they are targeted for