Anti-Bullying
Weldon Middle School Jr. Chargers Are Against Bullying!
Bullying… what is that?
Have you ever been called funny names that you did not like at school? Have you ever been repeatedly laughed at by someone or a group of kids, or a gang in your class in a way that makes you sad? What about repeated threats and even physical abuse by someone for some reason? Probably. It is estimated that about 20% of all kids are bullied in school at any time, and about half have experienced bulling at some point before.
So what is that about?
Bullying is when someone keeps doing or saying things to have power over you. This includes calling you stupid names, saying or writing nasty things about you, leaving you out of activities, not talking to you, threatening, making you feel uncomfortable or scared, taking or damaging your things, hitting or kicking you, or making you do things you don't want to do.
No doubt, this can make you feel very unhappy, afraid, uncomfortable, depressed, hurt and alone. It can negatively affect your performance in class.
Know that it’s not your fault. What people call “bullying” is sometimes an argument between two people. But if someone is repeatedly cruel to you, that’s bullying and you mustn’t blame yourself. No one deserves to be treated cruelly.
Don’t respond or retaliate. Sometimes a reaction is exactly what aggressors are looking for because they think it gives them power over you, and you don’t want to empower a bully. As for retaliating, getting back at a bully turns you into one – and can turn one mean act into a chain reaction. If you can, remove yourself from the situation. If you can’t, sometimes humor disarms or distracts a person from bullying.
Save the evidence. The only good news about bullying online or on phones is that it can usually be captured, saved, and shown to someone who can help. You can save that evidence in case things escalate. [Visit ConnectSafely.org/cyberbullying for instructions on how to capture screens on phones and computers.]
Tell the person to stop. This is completely up to you – don’t do it if you don’t feel totally comfortable doing it, because you need to make your position completely clear that you will not stand for this treatment any more. You may need to practice beforehand with someone you trust, like a parent or good friend.
Reach out for help – especially if the behavior’s really getting to you. You deserve backup. See if there’s someone who can listen, help you process what’s going on and work through it – a friend, relative or maybe an adult you trust.
Use available tech tools. Most social media apps and services allow you to block the person. Whether the harassment’s in an app, texting, comments or tagged photos, do yourself a favor and block the person. You can also report the problem to the service. That probably won’t end it, but you don’t need the harassment in your face, and you’ll be less tempted to respond. If you’re getting threats of physical harm, you should call your local police (with a parent or guardian’s help) and consider reporting it to school authorities.
Protect your accounts. Don’t share your passwords with anyone – even your closest friends, who may not be close forever – and password-protect your phone so no one can use it to impersonate you.
If someone you know is being bullied, take action. Just standing by can empower an aggressor and does nothing to help. The best thing you can do is try to stop the bullying by taking a stand against it. If you can’t stop it, support the person being bullied. If the person’s a friend, you can listen and see how to help. Consider together whether you should report the bullying. If you’re not already friends, even a kind word can help reduce the pain. At the very least, help by not passing along a mean message and not giving positive attention to the person doing the bullying.
If you are bullied, picked on, or just need to talk remember you can always talk to me. I'm here for your safety. You can talk to me in person, ask a teacher or principal to talk to me or you can even email me at [email protected]
Have you ever been called funny names that you did not like at school? Have you ever been repeatedly laughed at by someone or a group of kids, or a gang in your class in a way that makes you sad? What about repeated threats and even physical abuse by someone for some reason? Probably. It is estimated that about 20% of all kids are bullied in school at any time, and about half have experienced bulling at some point before.
So what is that about?
Bullying is when someone keeps doing or saying things to have power over you. This includes calling you stupid names, saying or writing nasty things about you, leaving you out of activities, not talking to you, threatening, making you feel uncomfortable or scared, taking or damaging your things, hitting or kicking you, or making you do things you don't want to do.
No doubt, this can make you feel very unhappy, afraid, uncomfortable, depressed, hurt and alone. It can negatively affect your performance in class.
Know that it’s not your fault. What people call “bullying” is sometimes an argument between two people. But if someone is repeatedly cruel to you, that’s bullying and you mustn’t blame yourself. No one deserves to be treated cruelly.
Don’t respond or retaliate. Sometimes a reaction is exactly what aggressors are looking for because they think it gives them power over you, and you don’t want to empower a bully. As for retaliating, getting back at a bully turns you into one – and can turn one mean act into a chain reaction. If you can, remove yourself from the situation. If you can’t, sometimes humor disarms or distracts a person from bullying.
Save the evidence. The only good news about bullying online or on phones is that it can usually be captured, saved, and shown to someone who can help. You can save that evidence in case things escalate. [Visit ConnectSafely.org/cyberbullying for instructions on how to capture screens on phones and computers.]
Tell the person to stop. This is completely up to you – don’t do it if you don’t feel totally comfortable doing it, because you need to make your position completely clear that you will not stand for this treatment any more. You may need to practice beforehand with someone you trust, like a parent or good friend.
Reach out for help – especially if the behavior’s really getting to you. You deserve backup. See if there’s someone who can listen, help you process what’s going on and work through it – a friend, relative or maybe an adult you trust.
Use available tech tools. Most social media apps and services allow you to block the person. Whether the harassment’s in an app, texting, comments or tagged photos, do yourself a favor and block the person. You can also report the problem to the service. That probably won’t end it, but you don’t need the harassment in your face, and you’ll be less tempted to respond. If you’re getting threats of physical harm, you should call your local police (with a parent or guardian’s help) and consider reporting it to school authorities.
Protect your accounts. Don’t share your passwords with anyone – even your closest friends, who may not be close forever – and password-protect your phone so no one can use it to impersonate you.
If someone you know is being bullied, take action. Just standing by can empower an aggressor and does nothing to help. The best thing you can do is try to stop the bullying by taking a stand against it. If you can’t stop it, support the person being bullied. If the person’s a friend, you can listen and see how to help. Consider together whether you should report the bullying. If you’re not already friends, even a kind word can help reduce the pain. At the very least, help by not passing along a mean message and not giving positive attention to the person doing the bullying.
If you are bullied, picked on, or just need to talk remember you can always talk to me. I'm here for your safety. You can talk to me in person, ask a teacher or principal to talk to me or you can even email me at [email protected]
