Bullying isn't something that only happens in movies and books. It is a real problem that affects many children every day and can become dangerous if not stopped. Learn how to stop bullying by acting quickly, knowing where to look for help, and setting a good example for others.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Act Now
Step 1. Make eye contact with the bully and tell him to stop
If a bully teases you in a way you don't like, insults you, or physically threatens you, sometimes looking him straight in the eye and uttering a calm and clear "no" is the right way to alter the situation. Let him know that you don't want to be treated like this and make it clear that he must stop immediately.
- If that's the case, try using a smile to release tension. Bullies usually try to piss off the person they are targeting, so if you show the person that your skin is too tough for this sort of thing, they may just drop it and leave you alone.
- Don't raise your voice when you tell the bully to stop. This may prompt him to keep bothering you to get an even stronger reaction.
Step 2. Avoid exacerbating the situation
Teasing the bully by saying his name or threatening him to get into physical confrontation will only make things worse. Do not scream and do not take initiatives aimed at physical violence. The bully will likely react with more bullying and risk or risk getting yourself into trouble if you are caught in the middle of the situation.
Step 3. Know when it's time to leave
If the situation seems threatening or dangerous, it's best to cut and run. Turn around and get away from the bully. At some point, reasoning with him won't make a difference.
- If you are concerned about your safety, contact a teacher or school counselor you trust who can help you handle the situation.
- Avoid having any further contact with the bully until you have taken further steps to stop the bullying.
Step 4. Don't react to cyberbullying attacks
If you are being harassed by someone through texting, your Facebook page, your website, e-mails or other online space, do not reply to the bully. The provocations are counterproductive, especially in a situation where the bully has remained anonymous. Instead of replicating, take the following steps:
- Save the evidence. Do not delete e-mails, messages or sms that contain threats. You may need it if things get worse.
- Block it. If it's someone you know, block them on Facebook, delete them from your phone contacts and block their correspondence in all possible ways. It is usually enough to discourage the bully from taking further action. If the person has remained anonymous, report the e-mail address as spam.
- Change your account settings to make it more difficult to find yourself online. Start using a new nickname or restrict the privacy settings of your social media accounts.
Method 2 of 3: Get Outside Help
Step 1. Don't wait too long
If the bullying has reached the point of causing you to feel anxious about going to school, keeping you awake at night or interfering with your life in any other negative way, ask for help from an adult you trust.
Step 2. Talk to your head teacher
Since bullying is a very common phenomenon, all schools have a course of action to manage it efficiently and effectively. Discuss this situation with the principal or a school counselor so that it stops as soon as possible. Steps will be taken to punish the bully or propose mediation to resolve the matter.
- Know that other children in your school are struggling with the same problem and there are rules and protocols for a valid reason.
- If you are a parent, arrange a meeting with the head teacher instead of trying to deal with the situation on your own.
Step 3. Report cyberbullying to service providers
This form of bullying has become so common that telephone services and other service providers have also set up projects to address this type of abuse. Contact your service provider to report bullying so that steps are taken to prevent the person from continuing to contact you. You may need to provide phone or email recordings to your service provider.
Step 4. Take legal action
Repeated acts of bullying over time that cause emotional or physical damage could form the basis for taking legal action. If the steps taken by the school and the bully's parents aren't enough to correct the problem, you may want to consider seeing a lawyer.
Step 5. Contact your local police station
There are forms of bullying that can be very dangerous and some are even classified as criminal offenses. If the harassment you are experiencing is in any of the following areas, contact your local police station.
- Physical violence. Bullying can lead to real physical harm. If you are concerned that your health or life is in danger, call the police.
- Stalking and intimidation. If someone violates your personal space and threatens you, it is a crime.
- Threats of death or threats of violence.
- Dissemination of potentially humiliating photographic or video material without your consent, including photos and videos with explicitly sexual content.
- Actions related to hatred or threats.
Method 3 of 3: Set a Good Example
Step 1. Make sure you don't perpetuate bullying behavior at school
Examine your behavior towards your classmates. Is there someone you are bullying with, even unintentionally? Everyone exchanges sharp words every now and then, but if there is someone you tend to annoy, stop, even if you are not doing what you would call bullying. Make being nice to others your policy, even if you don't like them very much.
- Don't make fun of someone unless you know them well enough to understand their sense of humor.
- Don't gossip or spread rumors about other people is a form of bullying.
- Don't exclude or ignore someone on purpose.
- Never share someone's pictures or information on the internet without their consent.
Step 2. Stand up for others
If you see someone being bullied at school, face the bullies. Deciding not to participate won't get you very far; you should actively take a stand to prevent the victim from being harmed further. You can intervene by talking to the bully if you feel confident doing so, or report what you saw to your head teacher.
- If your friends start gossiping about someone, make it clear that you don't intend to participate in this kind of thing.
- If you are part of a group that intentionally excludes someone else, communicate to the group your desire to include everyone, because it is the right thing to do.
- If you see someone being targeted and fear for their safety, report it to your head teacher right away.
Step 3. Let the world know that bullying must stop
Many schools run anti-bullying campaigns led by students who want to keep schools safe and open to everyone. Become part of a group or create one at school to raise awareness of the problem of bullying and understand how to solve it.
Advice
- Avoid isolating yourself. Surround yourself with friends.
- Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself or take someone else's defense. At least you are brave.
- Be sure of yourself. You will attract more friends and people won't bother you much if you appear confident.
- Remember that it is NOT YOUR FAULT if you are being bullied.
- Never lower yourself to the level of bullies.
- Get them to listen to you. Don't just stand on two feet, do something.
- Put a hand on your hip, walk confidently, and show the bullies that you are not worried.
- Become a member of bullying prevention groups or even support groups for children and adolescents who have been bullied. There may even be some online, if you don't want to share your personal experiences so openly. If you are online, do not disclose your personal information, such as telephone number, address, surname, city, etc.
- Don't show signs that they affect you by making you feel insecure, even if you are, as the bully will find it funny and will continue all the more so.
Warnings
- In the event that there has not yet been intervention by a competent adult, report emergency situations, such as very recent crimes that pose a direct threat to health, life or property, call 113 as soon as possible. Tell about the crimes that are currently not a threat to a teacher, principal, nanny, school counselor, or your parents when you can reach them before the police, and have one of them help you report it. to the police.
- Report a crime when you are in a safe position to do so, but realize that this procedure is not easy to follow. Many policemen, parents, teachers, etc. they feel it is wrong to report crimes committed by children in a school setting, and you may need to listen to them. Be totally honest when you tell adults a fact. It is the best way to build a relationship of trust with them.
- If you report the incident to an adult, be sure to accurately describe any form of self-defense you have adopted, so that when they find out later, they will know that you are a person who respects the rules instead of automatically thinking that you are a dishonest instigator.
- You understand self-defense, but you know its limits. It is about protecting yourself from an offense. Sometimes it is physical, other times it consists in managing or avoiding a problem in another way. When it is physical, its goal is only to stop the physical damage it has taken. Self-defense can sometimes incriminate you (make you look like a criminal, with the consequent need for a judge's intervention). You have to decide whether or not to report a crime after using self-defense.
- Keep in mind that being touched on purpose by someone without permission could be a crime, even if the perpetrator is a child and should be referred to a trusted adult, unless it is something so irrelevant that you decide to grant the permission after the incident.
