Anti-bullying book

Bullying and hurtful behaviour is unacceptable - it must be stopped!

Which statement applies to your situation?

  1. I have fallen out with someone. Sometimes they say and do unkind things to me and sometimes I say and do unkind things to them. I know we have upset each other.
  2. Someone is unkind to me. I have done nothing to them and I cannot understand why they are nasty to me. I try to keep away from them but they keep bothering me for no reason.

Both situations will make you feel sad. If you answered 1, you both need to think about your actions and you might need an adult to help you to do that.

If you answered 2, you must get help and tell an adult what is happening.

Are you a bully?

Do you ever...

  • Push another person around or make fun of them?
  • Call people names?
  • Leave another person out, or stop them joining in your game?
  • Threaten another person?
  • Take things from another person without their permission?
  • Hurt another person?

Remember:

You do not have to have started it to be a bully. Just being there and supporting or laughing at the situation is enough.

What should a bully do?

  • Think about why you are doing it - Do you enjoy the power? Are you worried? Do you not think about the affect your actions have?
  • Think about - How you make the victim feel, how you make yourself look to others, what sort of person you are.
  • Try to recognise when you are most likely to bully someone and avoid these situations.
  • Quietly apologise to the victim, and make it up to them if you can.
  • Learn from your mistakes.
  • Find other ways to manage your feelings
  • Talk to someone if you are struggling to cope with something

What does bullying feel like?

If you are being bullied you might feel some of the following emotions:

  • Ashamed
  • Humiliated
  • Degraded
  • Lonely
  • Unpopular
  • Scared
  • Threatened
  • Worried
  • Distressed
  • Frustrated
  • Angry
  • Confused

It is normal to feel this way. Sadly, about half of all children get bullied during their school life.

Bullying can affect both boys and girls and adults too. Verbal and emotional bullying is just as serious as punching and kicking.

What should I do about it?

TELL

If it is a relatively new problem, it might be that the other person doesn't realise they are hurting you. If you can tell them they might just stop. However, if you are frightened or the problem is more serious, you should think of what to do next.

  1. Talk to an adult you can trust.
  2. When reporting an incident, be clear about...
  • What happened
  • How often it has happened
  • Who was involved
  • Who saw it
  • What have you done about it

What else can I do?

  • Avoid situations where you will be alone
  • Avoid the bully if you can
  • Change your route to school 
  • Arrive a bit earlier or leave a bit later 
  • Think positively about yourself
  • Practice being confident
  • Keep a record of what is happening
  • Try not to show you are upset or angry
  • Look them in the eye and tell them to stop
  • Make a joke of it
  • Walk away
  • Let people know what's going on

If you know someone who would like this information in a different format contact the communicatons team on 0191 424 7385.