Bullying

1

• Bullying
• What is bullying?
• What makes a bully?
• What you should know about
  bullies.
• What if you're the bully?
• Being bullied.
• Who gets picked on?
• How it feels to be bullied?

2

• What is bullying?
• "I was only teasing..."
• "I didn't really mean to..."
• "He made me do it".
• "She did it first".
• "It was only a bit of fun".
• We've all made these kinds of excuses at
  times. Very often we end up saying
  sorry to someone for hurting them, hurting
  their feelings, of doing something without
  thinking of what might happen.
• Some people seem to be making these kinds
  of excuses all the time, especially when
  they've been caught out by an adult or a
  teacher. These are the people who turn into
  bullies.

3

• What makes a bully?
• Bullies can be boys or girls, big kids or
  little kids, smart or not so smart kids. Some
  bullies use words to hurt the fee-lings of their
  victim and some like to hurt people's bodies.
  Here are some of the things bullies might do
• They often talk loudly, and don't give others a
  chance to speak.
• They try to be super cool.
• They often pick on younger or smaller kids,
  kids who might be different in some way, or
  kids who don't have many friends, like
• new kids.
• They often have one or two people who hang around
  with them to help them 'gang up' on a kid.
• They can use teasing, name-calling, blackmail and
  violence against their victim.
• They may spread stories or lies about their
  victim.
• They may try to turn everyone against you.
• They may ignore or not speak to their victim and
• try to get others to do the same.

4

• What you should know about bullies
• They like embarrassing or hurting people.
• They are often not confident people them-
• selves, which is why they pick on others.
• They often are not happy people and have
  more problems than the people they pick on!
• They feel better about themselves if they can
  make others feel worse.
• Many experts believe that bullies have
  learned to bully because t hey have been
  bullied themselves in the past, maybe in
  their homes, outside or at school. (But even
  if you are bullied, you have a choice what to do
  - you don't have to turn into a bully).
• Some people join in or go along with the bullying
  of others to save themselves from being bullied.
• Bullies often work in groups, because it is easy
  for them to make excuses when they are caught
  (e.g. "I didn't start it..." , " "He the
  victim started it and I was just helping my
  friend".)

5

• What if you're the bully?
• If you get into trouble for bullying and you
  want to have friends, ask an adult you trust to
  help you. You will need to get some help to learn
  to manage your feelings in ways that don't hurt
  other people. There are always other things you
  can do when you are angry or stressed or
  frustrated, but you may need help to work out
  what they could be for you.
• You will also have to help other people
  'unlearn' about you. You will have to help
  them learn about the good things you can do.
  It will be very hard and it might take a long
  time but it will be worth it in the end - then
  you will have made real friends, and earned
  the real respect of people, rather than have
  them fear you.

6

• Who gets picked on?
• Sometimes it's hard to work out why bullies
  pick on some people but one thing is for sure,
  it's not the fault of the per-son who is being
  picked on (although there are sometimes things
  that can be learned to help avoid being bullied).
• Bullies generally go for
• Anyone who just happens to be in the wrong
  place at the wrong time.
• People who are different in any way.
• Anyone who seems like an easy target (easy to
  scare).
• People who are smaller or younger than the
  bully.
• People who are sensitive, who may cry or get
  upset .
• If you think you might be one of these people,
  remember that we are all different and that is
  why it is an interesting world. Being different
  doesn't
• make it okay to be picked on.

7

• How it feels to be bullied
• People who are bullied often feel scared,
  lonely and hopeless. Being the victim of a bully
  can lead to
• Feeling left out and lonely.
• Not wanting to eat.
• Not wanting to go to school.
• Doing badly at school work.
• Running away from school
• or home.
• Having bad dreams.
• Wetting the bed.

8

• B is for bashing, weaker people.
• U is for unfair, to all pick on one.
• L is for lying, to get out of trouble
• L is for lout, don't you act like one.
• Y is for yuck, that's how they make
  people
  feel.
• I is for illegal, everyone has rights.
• N is for naughty, to upset someone.
• G is for gangs who go looking for fights.