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Why do people bully?
To
pretend they are tough
To try to get others to like them
To hide their own fears
They copy others who bully
They are unhappy
They don’t like who they are
What
is a Bully?
A bully is someone who takes advantage of another person that
he or she thinks is more vulnerable. They try to gain control
over the victim or to gain control over a social group. This
type of behaviour occurs in all ages, sexes and social groups.
Most adults, if they think about it, have experienced bullying
too. Bullying usually involves deliberate hostility or aggression
toward the victim. The interaction is painful and humiliating
and distressing to the victim. Note the word deliberate.
What
do people bully about?
Some
of the things people bully about...
A
person's weight - their race - being gay - having special
needs - being a traveller - a person's religion - sex - facial
features - poverty - clothes style - self-harming...
How does Bullying make you feel?
| Mad |
Depressed |
Silly |
| Embarrassed |
Lonely |
Confused |
| Sick |
Tired |
Nervous |
| Worried |
Angry |
Fed-up |
| Scared |
Sad |
Stuck |
Like
not wanting to go to school |
Bullying
– The Facts
Bullying happens until it is stopped
Bullying can happen to anyone
Bullying can be one person or many person
Bullying can happen anywhere
Bullying
Can Include:
Name-calling
Teasing
Physical violence
Putting people down
Frightening people
Cyber bullying
Making someone feel left out
| If
you are Bullied…What can you do? |
Someone
is being bullied… How can you help? |
| Get
help – don’t keep it a secret |
Listen |
| Avoid
the bully - Violence is not the answer |
Be
a mediator |
| Be
with other people – try not to be on your own |
Talk
to someone who can help |
| Talk
to your parents or a teacher |
Be
a friend |
Stop
Bullying and Being Bullied
If
you have been a bully, or a part of a group that bullies others
it is time to STOP!
Bullying will keep happening until someone puts a stop to
it.
No-one has the right to hurt, humiliate or violate another
person.
If
you feel angry enough to hurt someone or bully them…
try doing any of the following:
Walk away from the situation
Hook up (calming exercise – ask your leader for details)
Change your thoughts about that person
Try talking to the person about what is making you angry
Speak to a trusted adult about why you think you bully and
what you get out of it
Give yourself space – count, close your eyes and breathe
deeply
If
you still feel that bullying someone is the thing to do…
You
need to ask yourself what it is about that person that you
don’t like.
We can’t like everyone we meet in our lives and you
are not going to always get along with people, but you do
not have the right to make their lives a misery by bullying
them.
If you find the person annoying or think by bullying them
you will put them down a peg or two because they seem too
popular then the best thing to do is to stay away from them.
Activity
Here's a reframing
exercise that will help the victim or the persecutor to
reframe how they think about the other. |
