Some Background...
> Every seven seconds someone in Britain is being bullied.
> One in five secondary school pupils have experience of bullying
> Bullying can happen anywhere; one in four people are bullied at work
> Bullying can make you feel depressed, shy, isolated, insecure and even suicidal
> Most people who bully have been bullied themselves
> In many cases the effects of bullying aren't visible at all. But this doesn't mean they're less hurtful.
> 20,000 young people got help last year when they spoke out against bullying
Bullying: The Facts
What is bullying?
Bullying is repeated harassment over a period of time, and is done in a way that makes it difficult for the person being bullied to defend themselves.
There are three main types of bullying.
Verbal bullying, including:
> Teasing
> Sarcasm
> Name calling
> Continually ignoring someone
> Racist & sexist remarks
Physical bullying, including:
> Taking your money or personal belongings
> Pushing, hitting, kicking and punching
> Sexual abuse, including unwanted physical contact or comments.
Indirect bullying, including:
> Spreading rumours or starting gossip about you
> Getting you into trouble for no real reason
> Excluding you
> Sending you hurtful messages via texts, emails, phoning and letters
Remember, bullying can happen outside of a school or college. If someone is consistently doing any of these things to you, whether it's on the street, on the bus or in the workplace, it's still considered bullying.
Who is affected by bullying?
There are loads of reasons why you could become a victim of bullying. Perhaps you're:
> Doing especially well at school, college, uni or work and others are jealous
> Particularly tall, short, large or small
> From a different background
> From a different race or nationality
> Gay, lesbian or bisexual
> New, with no mates to back you up
> Shy, giving the impression that you won't stand up for yourself
Remember, it's the person who's doing the bullying who's in the wrong and there is nothing wrong with YOU.
If you have trouble convincing people at your school that bullying needs to be dealt with, remind your head teacher that "schools have a similar duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under the Education Act 2002 (section 175)".
  How can you can help someone who's being bullied?
> Listen to them and let them know you believe them.
> Take their feelings and worries seriously
> Talk through their options with them
> Support them in standing up to the bully
If you see someone else being bullied:
n Don't just ignore it. How would you feel if it was you, a family member or a friend and nobody helped out?
> Try speaking to the person who you think is being bullied and encourage them to seek help.
> Don't join in with bullying because you feel you have to. By joining in you're just being weak and spineless. If you don't do anything about the bully, there's no guarantee it won't be you next.
> If appropriate, speak to your school/college about their anti-bullying policy and think about setting up a student council.
Dealing With Being Bullied
f you're being bullied right now, what do you do?
If you're being bullied verbally, physically or indirectly by someone or a group of other people, you need to know how to deal with it.
Don't panic
Don't panic, keep as calm as you can, and don't worry right now about the reasons why you think they're doing it to you.
You just need it to stop as soon as possible. It's important you understand that they do NOT have the right to make you feel miserable. It is not your fault so tell yourself this over and over. Once you stop believing this, they have won. Don't let them.
You are not alone in this. Sadly most people have been bullied at some point in their lives.
Try talking to them
It might sound unlikely, but people who bully may not always be aware of how they are making you feel, so you could try telling them in a calm but firm manner. If there's a gang of them, try speaking to the ringleader when he/she is alone. But if that's impossible or if it doesn't work...
Tell someone
If you're being bullied, you really need to tell someone - someone you feel you can trust. There is strength in numbers, even if telling someone else about it doesn't feel like the strong thing to do. You stand a far better chance of getting the problem sorted if you let other people help.
It's a good idea to keep a diary and write down the place, date and time the bullying occurs as this is good evidence when the person is confronted. A list of a series of bullying incidents carries more weight than just one incident, so do go into detail in your diary. You could also call a helpline like Childline or the NSPCC - they're there to help and can give real practical support. Their details are onwww.nspcc.org.uk |
