Bullying

1. Bullying

2. What is Bullying • Hitting, pushing, name-calling, teasing, threatening, sending mean e-mails, taking or ruining another person’s things, leaving someone out – and lots of other mean stuff. • How can you tell if something is bullying? • It’s bullying if someone is hurting another person on purpose AND the kid who is doing it has more power

3. Bullying isn’t… • Ok, fair, acceptable. No one deserves to be bullied.

4. Who Bullies and Why? • Old or young, rich or poor, boy or girl. • You can’t tell who bullies by what they look like or where they live. • Look for these clues • They want to have power over other kids • They might feel bad about themselves • They might think they are better than others • Remember – bullies think they have all of the power but they don’t!

5. Who is Bullied and Why? • Bullies look for: • Differences • Bullies need something to pick on • Hair color, disability, clothing, etc. • Helplessness • Someone scared or upset • They like to make people cry. Bullies feel good when others feel bad. • Isolation • Bullies like when their target is alone • Remember…bullies like someone different, who will become upset, and is alone.

6. What You Can Do • Now that you know how a bully thinks, you can take some control. • Bullies look for differences so be respectful of differences. • When you value and respect differences you show bullies that being different doesn’t bother you. • If a bully makes fun of your hair, disability, or how you talk, just agree with them: • “yes, I have red hair”, “yes, I stutter”, then…walk away!

7. What You Can Do, cont’d. • Bullies look for helplessness • Kids who bully want you to be upset – don’t react • Even if you feel scared or upset, try not to show it • Crying, showing fear, or acting mad encourages the bully to pick on you again • If a bully calls you names at recess, do something unexpected…laugh…and walk away

8. What You Can Do, cont’d. • Bullies look for isolation • Kids who bully love to target kids who are alone • You can do two things to change the situation: • Try to hang out with other kids or in sight of a grownup • Tell an adult you trust. Adults can help stop bullying • If a bully waits until you are alone in the hall and then pushes you into a locker, there is plenty for you to do… • Bullies want you to get upset and cry. Instead of acting upset, hold your head high, keep your voice steady and loudly say “No, leave me alone!” Try to say it loud enough for others to hear. Be sure to tell an adult what happened and ask for help.

9. How Not To Be a Bully • Sometimes it is difficult to know what is or is not bullying. If you are not sure whether something has become bullying, stop and think and ask yourself these questions: • Are my actions or words hurting someone else's feelings? • Are my actions or words hurting someone else physically or making that person feel afraid? • Would I want someone else to do this to me? • Am I unfairly taking my anger out on someone? • Am I trying to control someone against his or her will?

10. Other Tips • Trying to get even with someone who bullies is never a good idea. When you fight back, there is a good chance that the bullying will continue. • If you see bullying happen, you can help stop it. How? Speak up! When someone is willing to stand up to what they think is wrong, they can make a difference. If you tell other kids that bullying is not cool, they will be more likely to speak up, too.

11. Bullying Webisodes • Bullying Webisodes://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/webisodes/default.aspx