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Bullying
We all know that bullying goes on in every school but it's the way it's dealt with which makes the difference between life being tolerable or a misery.
If people are making nasty remarks about you then it may be because they are jealous. Maybe you are better looking than they are or work harder or perhaps the teachers like you better. One way of dealing with remarks is simply to say ...yeah, whatever, .... each time so that you show them that it isn't having the effect of upsetting you in the way they think.
The bullies will have worked out what buttons to push to make you upset.
They may make remarks about:
- Your weight
- Your looks
- The colour of your hair
- Your family
- Your schoolwork
- If you are popular
- If you work hard
- If you have a disability
- If you are a different religion, colour or culture
- If you wear spectacles or a hearing aid
- If you have dyslexia or dyspraxia
- If you've been off school due to illness
What is Bullying?
There are various types of bullying, but most have three things in common:
It is deliberately hurtful behaviour.
It is repeated over time.
There is an imbalance of power, which makes it hard for those being bullied to defend themselves.
Bullying includes:
- People calling you names
- Making things up to get you into trouble
- Hitting, pinching, biting, pushing and shoving
- Taking things away from you
- Damaging your belongings
- Stealing your money
- Taking your friends away from you
- Posting insulting messages on the internet or by IM (cyberbullying)
- Spreading rumours
- Threats and intimidation
- Making silent or abusive phone calls
- Sending you offensive phone texts
- Bullies can also frighten you so that you don't want to go to school, so that you pretend to be ill to avoid them
It's important you tell someone:
If you are being bullied, tell a friend, tell a teacher and tell your parents. It won't stop unless you do.
It can be hard to do this so if you don't feel you can do it in person it might be easier to write a note to your parents explaining how you feel, or perhaps confide in someone outside the immediate family who you trust, like a grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin and ask them to help you tell your parents what's going on.
Your teacher needs to know what is going on so try to find a time to tell him/her when it won't be noticeable.
If you can't talk to any of these, telephone the free Childline number on 0800 1111.
Useful website links
http://www.fearless.org/cybercrime-bullying - Crimestoppers website for young people
http://www.derbyshire.police.uk/youngspace/index.html
http://www.safespeak.org.uk/ - Safe Speak is a counselling service for young people in Derbyshire aged between nine and 19
http://www.thehideout.org.uk/default.aspa - National domestic violence website for children and young people
Last Updated on Thursday, 22 December 2011 16:28
