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Bullies

Page 11 of 16
  • Be brave. When you are frightened, anxious, or afraid of another person, it can be tough to act brave. However, sometimes acting brave is enough to stop a bully. If you walk as though you are not afraid and hold your head high, it might not be so much fun for the bully and he or she might just give up. You can stand up for yourself with words by telling the bully to stop or by walking away. Ignoring the bully or pretending the bully does not exist are also ways to stop the bully's behavior.
  • Do not be afraid. Believe in nothing the bully has been saying to you. A bully works best with lies and deception. Do not succumb to the lies. You are not the problem, the bully is.
  • Eye contact. Do not try to stare down a bully. Make casual eye contact and act uninterested. It you maintain eye contact; it may be interpreted as a challenge.
  • Stay around friends. If you are being bullied, sometimes an older brother or sister can help by looking out for you. It is also a good idea to surround yourself with your classmates or friends and try to remain part of a group. Bullies can be very brave when their victims are alone. If you have friends or classmates who are being bullied, watch out for them and try to get all of your friends or classmates to be with that person before and after school.
  • Collect proof. Keep a record of what has happened, e.g. the words used, the actions taken, the frequency, venue, time, etc. Be careful and only write down things that have happened. Your records will come in very useful when you want to prove who is the bully or when planning to take legal action.
  • Do not keep it to yourself. Do not try to deal with the problem on your own. There is nothing wrong in asking for help - we all have to do it during our lives. It shows how strong you are and how you can deal with the problem in an adult way.
  • Tell someone. The first and most important thing to do is tell someone. Find an adult you can trust and explain the situation to them. If they do not listen, do not give up—find someone else to talk to.
  • Talk to your family or close friends. Let it out of your head; do not keep it inside. It is good to know that there will be people supporting you.
  • Tell the truth. When telling someone what has happened, even if you think it might seem small to them, do not be tempted to make anything up or exaggerate. Not only is it not good to lie (something that bullies often do), it never works out in the end. When people find out you have made something up, they will not believe anything else you say.
    • Speak out. Even if you are not being bullied, you can take a stand against it. If you see bullying occur, tell an adult. Everyone needs to make it unacceptable for any form of bullying to occur anywhere.
    • Do not blame yourself. It is not your fault that you are being bullied. The people who are doing this have the problem, not you. If you can try to accept this and feel better about yourself, it will give you greater confidence. 

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