Bullying - How Can You Tell?
Bullying can be obvious - someone hitting you or threatening you - but it can also be harder to pin down. Bullies will often claim that what they are doing is a joke or a game.
If in doubt ask yourself: -
1. If it is a joke, is everyone laughing?
2. If it is a game, is everyone enjoying it?
3. If it was an accident, is anyone trying to help?
Having fun at someone else's expense is bullying.
Why Do People Bully?
Bullies are not special, not strong, not tough. In fact they usually need to appear powerful because they secretly
feel weak. They may be: jealous of other people; unhappy with themselves; insecure; bullied at home; afraid of being unpopular; unable to show their feelings. They may also be adults.
Bullies often try to make it seem that the bullying is the victim's own fault.
This is NEVER true.
Ways of Coping with Bullying
1. Ignore nasty comments, insults or teasing. Do not be drawn into arguing.
2. Try not to show you are upset. Do not think of yourself as a victim - you deserve better than that. You have a right to put a stop to this.
3. Tell a sympathetic adult, parent, teacher, relative or friend. Ask them for help.
4. There is safety in numbers. Stay with your friends, or if that is not possible, with a group of people.
5. Shout 'NO' and mean it. Practise in front of a mirror.
6. Walk tall and confidently, even if you feel scared.
7. Do not fight to keep possessions. Your safety is more important.
8. Find out about self-defence classes in your area. These teach you how to respond to different situations and give you confidence.
9. Think before you fight back. You may be making things worse.
10. Get away as soon as you can.
11. If anyone tries to make you feel bad about your race, sex, appearance or abilities do not listen. They are just showing how ignorant they are.
12. It is good to be an individual. If you are different in some way be proud of it.
Bullying Advice
Bullying UK
The award winning charity Bullying UK helps more than 500,000 parents and children a year deal with school bullying 24/7, 365 days a year, through the website at www.bullying.co.uk
There are hundreds of pages of practical information on everything from name calling and violence to racism and cyber bullying. Advice is also given on help@bullying.co.uk. The website also includes sections for schools and youth workers, including the Poster Creator website in which young people can create their own free anti-bullying posters, more than 25,000 of which have been created to date.
