Dimrill wrote:
It does make you wonder why bullying isn't a criminal offence.
It sort of actually is.
"Assault" is a very misused term - legally it means, basically, making someone worried that they will imminently be unlawfully hurt. You don't have to touch them to be guilty of this. So "I'm going to do your face in at lunchtime" is an assault and could and should get you 6 months in prison.
"Battery" is when you actually do lamp someone. You then slide up the scale through wounding, ABH and up to GBH. And all the way up to murder these days, of course.
HOWEVER - the police hate having to sort out shit between kids. I've actually heard senior policemen on the Today programme complaining about their officers having to "waste their time" with calls to school playground altercations.
You heard it here, kids - it's basically legal for you to deck anyone you like at school. Unless you hospitalise someone, you won't get touched. But woe betide the person who gets remotely lairey at a copper - that's an assault charge right there. They're very sensitive souls.