What is bullying? |
Bullying is when someone deliberately frightens or hurts another person. This can be physically (hurting their body) or emotionally (hurting their feelings). The bullying is usually carried out again and again. The person being bullied often feels scared and sad.
Sometimes other people join in which can make it seem a lot worse.
There are different types of bullying:
- Name calling
- Electronic e.g. sending nasty messages or spreading rumours by text, e-mail, MSN
- Someone pushing you, hurting you or fighting with you
- Threatening you
- Stopping you from joining in
- Silent bullying
Things that are felt when you’re bullied are:
- Sad
- Afraid
- Scared
- Unhappy
- Alone
- Headache or Tummy ache (Being afraid can cause this)
- Can’t sleep and having bad dreams
- Difficult to do school and home work
The worst thing you can do if you are being bullied is get yourself in trouble by bunking off school or fighting back. |
| Did you know? |
- 25% of calls to Child line (0800 11 11) are about bullying
- Boys and girls get bullied about the same amount
- The most frequent way of being bullied is name calling
- Many people who are bullies have been bullied
- 50% of primary students are bullied
- Almost 8 out of every 10 children in the UK suffer bullying at some point when
they go to school
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A little story…
James was a really popular boy in primary school and every one enjoyed his company, but when he started going to secondary school that changed.
Every one was calling him names because his parents had split up. One gang involved in bullying James were pupils from year 7 and year 9.
They started following him home, annoying him and spreading rumours. James felt sad, frightened and was unable to concentrate at School. Then his grades started slipping as he stopped going to school. Eventually he phoned child line and they gave him advice.
He told his parents and the school. His parents made sure they spoke to the school at least once a week to make sure that James was not being bullied anymore. The school took action to stop the bullying and helped James feel safe again. A couple of weeks later James was enjoying school and had made loads more new friends.
What should you do?
Are you being bullied? If you are, don’t keep it to your self it’s always better to tell someone. You could try:
- Family
- Teachers
- Mentors
- Friends
- Lunchtime Supervisors
- Buddies or Play ground Pals
- School Nurse
- Some one you can trust
Things that can help
- Ignore the bully and walk away. Try to pretend that you are not bothered. The bully may get bored and go away as its not much fun to bully some one who does not react.
- It’s best to try and stick in groups of people or stay amongst friends so they are less likely to bully you. Friends can show support for one another they can also be a witness to the bully’s behaviour.
- If you see someone being bullied, report it to a teacher/someone you trust.
- Often bullies get away with bullying because its one persons word against another’s. It’s easier for the school to do something about bullying if other pupils report what is happening.
- Don’t forget to use the Bully box, which can be found in most schools. You can put the name of the person bullying you in there and say what has happened. If you don’t know the name, just write down that you are being bullied and put your name and class number down.
- Ask your school council or teacher if you can be a playground buddy. This may help you make new friends and help you to feel safer and happier. Buddies can work in pairs or a team.
ADVICE ON HOW TO AVOID (ELECTRONIC BULLYING) e.g. by mobile phone, MSN, email.
- First don’t reply to message. Ask for help on blocking or removing people from buddy lists.
- Don’t delete the message. It can be used to help prove you are being bullied and who is doing it
- Tell a teacher or someone you trust. Don’t try and deal with it by yourself.
- Any form of bullying is wrong no matter what.
WHAT TO AVOID DOING!
The worst things you can do bunk off school or fight back. If you bunk off school you will fall behind in your schoolwork, and then you might find it hard to catch up again.
If you fight a bully, this may get you into trouble. If you fight “to get back at them” the bully may try to “get back at you later” or say it was you that started it.
Don’t become a bully yourself. Some children who have been bullied become bullies themselves. This might be because they want to feel big or to stop it happening to them again. What ever the reason it is a bad idea.
Think about how sad and hurt you feel when you have been bullied; please don’t do the same thing to some one else. Being a bully may even make you feel bad about yourself.
Important stuff you should remember if you are being bullied
Always believe in yourself
Remind yourself that what the bully said isn’t true.
The bully is the one with the problem not you!
ALWAYS TELL SOME ONE!
