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.