In the Britain, about 16,000 children stay at home and do not go to school because they are often bullied. Their exam results suffer and so do their chances of going to university or getting good jobs. Bullied children may also suffer from other problems. They can have serious illnesses, an inability to focus on one thing for a long time, poor social skills, and have trouble holding down a job or staying in a relationship. Catherine Bradshaw, an expert on youth violence, said parents and schools needed to do more about recognizing and preventing bullying. She said parents needed to teach their children how to communicate well with other children.