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Information » Family & Relationships » What to do if something goes wrong » Bullying

Why me?

• Many people have been bullied at some point in their lives – even some of your favourite celebrities
• It is nothing to be ashamed of and it is not your fault
• Every seven seconds in Britain, someone is being bullied so you are not alone
• Bullying is not just something that happens in the playground either, it can happen at home, out with friends or in the workplace and can be a terrible experience
• Bullying can be physical, such as punching, hitting or stealing from you, or emotional, such as name-calling, blackmail or taunting. It can be intimidating and humiliating behaviour
• Bullying can make you feel depressed, shy, upset and even suicidal so it is important to tell someone what is happening to you
• And bullying does not even have to take place face-to-face anymore, more and more people find themselves being bullied by text message, email, in Internet chatrooms and on their mobiles. This is still bullying and intimidation.
• Remember it is the bully who has the problem, not you. They might be jealous of you, are trying to fit in with friends or a new role, looking for attention or angry about their own lives

Dealing with bullying

• No-one has the right to make you feel unhappy, frightened or unsafe so don´t let this continue to happen to you
• Talking to someone is the only way to make bullying stop. Remember this is not your fault so there is no shame in telling someone about it
• It may seem unlikely but talking to the person who is bullying you can help. If it is a group, talk to the ring leader on their own. Tell them how you feel, ask why they are doing it and tell them to stop
• If this doesn´t work or you feel too scared to try, talk to someone you trust. This could be your parents, a teacher, the school nurse, friends or a work colleague
• Work with them to find ways of stopping the bullying. This could include:
• Ignoring it
• Walking away calmly
• Staying with a group
• Being assertive and confident
• Standing up to them – say ‘stop´ very loudly and clearly. Become a threat to them
• Going to the top – tell your head teacher or your boss and let them deal with the bully. They have the legal obligation to prevent it happening
• Bullying comes in many forms and you might be experiencing more extreme bullying where your own safety is at risk. If this is the case, do not attempt anything that is likely to put you in harms way and don´t fight back. Tell someone and get help. Call the police if you fear your safety