Recent research revealed that teasing is not always bad. Psychologist at Bangor University in North Wales found that good-natured teasing and names-calling among school children can help children in developing social skills and human bonding.

Dr Erin Heerey, of the University of Bangor in North Wales, studied a group of university students in California and found that their playful humiliations led to them becoming better friends.

Researchers found that the same group of students who had been the butt of jokes were in leadership positions and now playing the same role in passing on these social norms after couple of years.

Heerey said that playground teasing was a normal part of school life and should not be stopped by politically correct teachers. She added that easing helps children to discover how to use their bodies, voices and faces to communicate nuances of meaning.