Standing up to Bullies, Travel in Groups, Stop School Violence
Middle school is tough enough without having to deal with bullies. You have the right to go to school in a place where you feel safe. People who physically (by using their bodies) or verbally (with their words) abuse you are bullies. If you feel threatened by someone at your school it’s time to take action. The ideas below are from people your age who have been bullied. None of the ideas they shared were easy to put into action. Each person showed incredible courage, but their courage paid off. The bullying stopped and they were able to feel safe again.
How do I deal with bullies?
That’s enough! Bullies will continue to abuse you until someone says, “that’s enough.” If you can’t say the words, than tell someone who can. All bullies are the same no matter how old they are. Unless someone tells them to stop they believe what they are doing is ok.
Travel with a group. Bullies like to take advantage of their victims when they are alone. When you are with a group bullies lose their courage because they are afraid of what the group could do if they chose to stand up and take action.
Ask for help. If you feel like you can’t go to a friend or adult and verbally ask them for help, try writing a short note that names the bully and what you don’t like about the way you are being treated. Remember, nothing changes unless someone knows you need help. Teachers are more aware of bullies now than they have been in the past, so think about asking a teacher for help.
Violence isn’t the solution. You may have heard about people in middle school and high school, who used violence to stop a bully. Using violence puts everyone in danger, including you. If you are thinking about hurting someone remember how you felt about being abused. Don’t become a bully yourself.
What we know about bullies
- Bullies like to take advantage of people who don’t stand up for themselves. They look for people who won’t say or do anything to stop them.
- Bullies want to make people feel afraid because they often feel afraid too.
- Bullies fear being disliked and abused. Some bullies have themselves, been abused by their classmates or by adults.
- Bullies fear being made fun of by their friends. They pick on other people so their friends will think they are cool.
- Bullies need a group of friends to continue. When bullies lose their friends they stop.
- Bullies need your help if they are going to learn how to stop. Take action and stop bullies from hurting other kids.
