Students

Steps to prevent bullying

• Buddy up and speak up. There is power in sticking up for friends.
• Don’t lose your cool. When you get visibly angry or upset, bullies feel in control.
• Avoid getting physical. Get away from a situation before it escalates. Fighting may seem like a solution, but in reality, it can lead to serious injury, arrest, and future problems.
• Get adults involved. When it comes to bullying, there is no such thing as “snitching.” Bullying is a serious violation of a person’s right to be safe and be treated decently. Such harassment must be reported to help stop such unacceptable behavior.
• Both the victim and witnesses should report bullying to help keep everyone safer.

Victim

• Keep your cool.
• Remember YOU aren’t the problem, the bully is.
• Calmly tell bully to stop.
• Walk away.
• Tell an adult there and at home. Don’t back down until action is taken.
• Find supportive friends by participating in clubs, hobbies, and other activities.

Bully

• Identify motives behind bullying. How does it make you feel?
• Plan a way to interact in a positive manner.
• Develop empathy: imagine acting this way to a close family member.
• Seek help from a trusted adult.

Bystanders

• Don’t laugh
• Speak up and tell the bully to stop. If you’re scared, grab a friend to support you.
• Tell an adult. Telling is not tattling if someone is being hurt with words or actions.
• Invite the person being bullied to join you in doing something else.
• Tell the person being bullied it’s not OK to be treated that way.
• Compliment the person being bullied and include them in games and activities in the future.

What are some signs I may be a bully?

√  I have repeatedly threatened to hurt someone.

√  I have pushed, hit, or pretended to hit someone to scare them.

√  I have spread hurtful rumors about someone in conversation or digitally.

√  I purposefully exclude others even if it may hurt their feelings.

√  I repeatedly joke around about someone’s race, appearance, dress, or mannerisms.

If any of these describe you, understand people of all backgrounds can develop bullying traits. Although bullying causes a lot of pain, you can start becoming part of the solution and not the problem.

If you want more information on bullying, please visit our resources page.