Helping yourself, helping your friends
"I feel angry. People have no right to put other
people down because of any differences they have. It's not fair. If I see
someone being
bullied I tell them it's not right and to leave them alone. If
more people stood up, the world would be a better place."
There are no simple, quick fix answers to bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence. But here are some ideas that have helped others and may help you.
Find someone to talk to.
Tell a trusted friend, teacher or carer. They may be able to support you in your decisions or even mediate between you and the person who is doing the bullying. Best of all, they will listen to how you feel.
Talk to yourself.
No, you're not going mad! Your mind is your own private space to think through and talk about what has happened and how you feel. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help too.
Stay positive.
Bullying usually makes us feel small and powerless so it can be difficult to feel positive. Focus upon all the things that you do well.
Be confident.
Use strong, assertive 'I' statements. When you think people are misusing power, tell them 'I don't like that,' in a strong confident voice. Practise this with your friends.
Use conflict resolution skills.
Talk with the person who is harassing or bullying you. Ask them if there is a problem that you might be able to sort out together.
Where possible, ignore people who bully or harass.
You don't have to respond. You can walk away from people who are harassing you. This does not always work, particularly if it is persistent bullying or violence that needs to be reported. You may need to continue ignoring the behaviour for a while.
Hang around with your friends.
Be with people who help you feel good about yourself. Good friends respect, encourage and support you. They care for your wellbeing and are fun to be around. And you'll make new friends by respecting, encouraging and supporting others.
Stick up for your friends.
If you have a friend who is being bullied, stick up for them, listen to them talk about how it feels, let them know you care… and give them this information. Also try standing up for others you don't know so well.
Remember if we do nothing we are part of the problem.
"A lot of children and teenagers all have similar
problems when it
comes to growing up. Yet everyone has at some stage bullied someone. We should
all be thinking of how we can help
each other survive adolescence instead
of
bullying each other. We should
work together."
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