English Club

How To Stop Bullying

Bullies try to justify their actions by saying that it is their victim's fault for being different. They may pick on someone who is tall or small, or fat or thin, or wears glasses, or has a different accent, or another religion, or is shy or clever, or good looking, or disabled or . . . Any excuse will do, and if there is no real difference then the bullies will invent one. If this is happening to you tell yourself that it is not your fault, and that it is the bullies who need to change, not you.

What To Do :

§  Talk to someone you can trust, a teacher, parent, older friend or relative.

§  Be persistent. If the first person you talk to ignores you don't give up, speak to someone else.

§  If you can, write down everything the bullies have done or have said to you, and try to write down how you feel. When you have found someone you can trust and who is helpful, discuss what you have written with that person. Be very careful to only write down things which really happen.

§  If you find it difficult to talk to an adult, ask one of your friends to come with you, or ask someone to talk to an adult on your behalf.

Adult Bullying :

Bullying is wrong whatever the age of the person who is bullying you. Adults can bully children in many different ways. If an adult is doing something to you, or trying to make you do something you do not like, but you are not sure if this is bullying, then you must talk to someone.

If this is happening at school you can talk to your parents. If this is happening at home you could talk to a trusted teacher. Do not keep it a secret. The only way to stop bullying is to talk openly about it.

Working Together

You do not have to be a victim to act. If you do nothing when you see someone being bullied the bullies may think that you approve of what they are doing. Part of the fun that bullies get comes from the reaction of bystanders. You can help by:

·         challenging all bullying behaviour

·         befriending younger children

·         talking about bullying

or, by taking part in your schools' anti-bullying activities such as:

·         acting in plays

·         designing posters

·         carrying out surveys

The single most important thing a school can do to prevent bullying is to have a clear policy to which staff, pupils and parents are committed. To help achieve this The Scottish Executive Education Department has sent copies of two anti-bullying packs to all Scottish schools.

Getting Help :

Most education authorities in Scotland have produced materials or employ people to help schools tackle bullying. Ask your parents or teachers to contact the Education Office if you want to find out about local developments.

Adults helping children:

The child who comes to you for help may need some reassurance along with practical advice on what to do. You could try some of the following, using your judgement about the particular circumstances.

If the child is being bullied, you can suggest :

Ø  "Stay calm and try not to show you are upset. Try to respond to the person bullying you without anger. Anger can make things worse."

• "Look the other person in the eye and say you don't like what they are doing."
• "As soon as you can, find an adult you trust and tell the adult what happened. It is your right to be safe."
• "If you are afraid to tell an adult on your own, ask a friend to go with you."
• "Stay close to children you can count on to stick up for you."
• "Stay away from places where you know bullying happens."
• "If the bullying continues, walk away, join other children or ask someone else for help."

If the child sees someone being bullied, you can suggest:

• "Speak out and help the person being hurt. Nobody deserves to be bullied. You can help by telling the person who is bullying to stop." 
•  "If it is hard for you to speak out against bullying on your own, ask a friend to do it with you."
•  "Comfort the person who was hurt and make it known that what happened was not fair or deserved."
• "If this does not work right away or if you are afraid to say or do something on your own, find an adult you trust to help you."
• "Help a child who is bullied by being a friend. Invite that child to participate in your school activities. This will reduce the feeling of being alone."
• Some assurances you can give to the child:
• "Despite how it may seem, it is not a hopeless situation. Something can be done to stop the hurtful behaviour. I will help you."
• “Remember: if you walk away and get help, you are part of the solution. If you stay and watch, you are part of the problem."
• "You can help to make your school, sports team or community a better place by taking action against bullying."

Thank You, Eugene Tjandraputri