For Students
Most of us have either been bullied or have seen someone else be bullied. Maybe you even wonder if you might have bullied someone yourself. Whatever the circumstance, we each have a role to play in stopping it from happening again.
Tips for Students
- Tell your parents or other trusted adults. They can help stop the bullying.
- If you are bullied at school, tell your teacher, school counselor, or principal. Telling is not tattling.
- Don't fight back. Don't try to bully those who bully you.
- Try not to show anger or fear. Students who bully like to see that they can upset you.
- Calmly tell the student to stop...or say nothing and then walk away.
- Use humor, if this is easy for you to do. (For example, if a student makes fun of your clothing, laugh and say, "Yeah, I think this shirt is kind of funny-looking, too.")
- Try to avoid situations in which bullying is likely to happen. Bullies are likely to use areas of the school where there are not many students like a bathroom or locker room. Try not to be alone in these areas.
- Sit near the front of the bus.
- Don't bring expensive things or lots of money to school.
- Sit with a group of friends at lunch.
- Take a different route through hallways or walk with friends or a teacher to your classes
LOTS OF THINGS! THINK ABOUT WHAT MAY WORK FOR YOU:
- Don't just stand there...SAY SOMETHING!
- Kids who bully may think they're being funny or "cool." If you feel safe, tell the person to STOP the bullying behavior. Say you don't like it and that it isn't funny. If you don't feel safe, go find an adult who can help with the situation.
- DON'T BULLY BACK! It won't help if you use mean names or actions, and it could make things worse.
Bullies are counting on bystanders doing just that - standing by. If you don't speak up, you are actually siding with the bully. Remember that often the best way to help is to go and tell an adult.
That's okay. No one should put themselves in an unsafe situation. How ELSE can you lend a hand when bullying happens?
- Say kind words to the child who is being bullied, such as "I'm sorry about what happened," and "I don't like it!" Help them understand that it's not his or her fault. Be a friend. Invite that student to do things with you, such as sit together at lunch or work together on a project. EVERYONE NEEDS A FRIEND!
- Tell the student who is being bullied to talk to someone about what happened. Offer to help by going along.
- Chances are, the kid who is being bullied needs help from an adult. The kid who is doing the bullying probably does, too. But, who should you tell? Think about who you could tell in your school:
- Teacher (which one would you talk to?),
- School counselor,
- Cafeteria or Playground Aid,
- School nurse,
- Principal,
- Bus driver, or
- Other adults you feel comfortable telling.
If you need help telling, take a friend along.
Bullying can happen anywhere - at school, at the playground or at sporting events, even at a friend's house.
Use your judgment about whether or not you feel safe enough to tell the bully to stop. If not, find an adult and get help.
No matter where the bullying happens, you should talk to your parents about bullying that you see or know about. Ask them for their ideas about how to help.
Kids who are bullied deserve to feel safe and welcome at school and in their neighborhoods. All kids do!
TAKE A STAND. LEND A HAND. STOP BULLYING NOW!
Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares another person on purpose. The person being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself. Usually, bullying happens over and over.
Sometimes bullying is easy to notice, such as with hitting or name calling, and other times it's hard to see, like with leaving a person out or saying mean things behind someone's back. Both boys and girls bully, and both boys and girls get bullied. Bullying is not fair, and it hurts.
- They may not want others to think they are "tattling."
- They may be afraid that the kids who bully will pick on them next.
- They may think that their friends will make fun of them for trying to help.
Telling is very important! Reporting that someone is getting bullied or hurt in some other way is NOT "tattling." Adults at school can help. Ask them to help keep you safe after telling. Explain to your friends that bullying is NOT fair and encourage them to join in helping! Everyone deserves a safe school environment.
