Young People

Many people describe bullying as ‘the most awful thing that has ever happened to them’. Whilst bullying is widespread throughout our schools, it can happen anywhere and to anyone.

There are 4 main areas of bullying:

1.Physical: hitting, kicking, pushing and other forms of violence.

2.Verbal: teasing, taunting, threats and name calling.

3.Indirect: being ignored and left out, having rumours spread about you, making things up that can cause problems for you.

4.Cyber: is the term used to refer to bullying and harassment by use of technologies through means of email, instant messaging, text messages, blogs, mobile phones, pagers, and websites.

Other forms of bullying include:

• Having your bag and other possessions taken
• Damaging your property
• Being forced to hand over money and/or possessions
• Threats
• Sending you offensive and/or abusive texts/emails
• Being attacked or teased because of your race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability etc.

As more children now have access to the Internet and/or a mobile phone, bullying this way is on the increase. Try not to engage in telephone conversations or respond to texts/emails. Responding will only give the bullies the power and control they seek. If possible, it is always best to keep the text messages on your phone and save the emails. If you are unable to do this, write down dates, time and details of the message as evidence to show a teacher/parent or the police.

If you are being bullied, it is important that you:

• Tell someone – it won’t go away on its own and it could get worse.
• Don’t retaliate – you may end up getting seriously hurt or in trouble.

Keep a record of each account of bullying. Save any nasty texts/emails you are sent. Write down what has happened, when it happened, where you were and who was involved. It might help to write how you feel about each bullying incident as well. Our ‘bullying diary’ can be downloaded by clicking here

Other Ideas

If possible, keep away from the bullies. If you don’t feel safe, try to stay with another group.

• Ask your friends to look out for you.
• Even if you don’t feel like it, try to act more confident.
• Keep a record of all incidents.
• Wherever possible, save the text messages and/or emails as evidence.
• Show someone you trust, (friend, family member, teacher).
• If the text message/email is life threatening, take it to your local police station and explain what has been happening.
• Have a look at your schools Anti Bullying Policy and find out how they aim to target bullying.

Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about what has been happening to you or to show someone any nasty text messages/emails. Remember, words hurt just as much, if not more, than actions and can be very upsetting. Make a stand and talk about it to someone you can trust. Sometimes it helps to write things down. If you find this easier, write down all that has happened to you and show it to someone you can trust. If you want to, you can send it to us via e-mail. We would be happy to hear from you and we will respond to all emails.

You may find it helps to talk to others in the same situation. The BulliesOut chat room for registered members will be open daily. A full list of times can be found on the chat page.

Places to Avoid

If you are suffering from bullying, If possible, try not to be on your own. Wherever possible, stay with your friends. If you do find yourself alone, try and avoid the following places:

• The Toilets
• The Gym
• Changing Rooms
• Empty Classrooms

If you find yourself alone during break/lunch times, try and stay close to other people so the bullies don’t find you on your own. This also applies to the school bus. Try and sit as close to the front as possible so the driver can see what is going on. If possible, try not to walk to and from school by yourself. If you don’t live near your friends, ask a member of your family to walk with you. Avoid any shortcuts, lanes or alleyways. It might be a drag walking the long way round but you need to stay safe.