Be an Ally Just say no to bullying

Be an Ally Just say no to bullying. A presentation by Theresa Littlefield

What is Bullying? • Bullying is when a person or group of people hurts, embarrasses, or frightens another person on purpose over and over again. • There are 4 types of bullying: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber bullying.

Physical Bullying • Includes anything that hurts a person physically; that causes pain or embarrassment. • Includes: taking, stealing, damaging, or defacing a person’s belongings or property.

Verbal Bullying • Using words to hurt a person’s feelings or make them feel embarrassed. • Includes: name-calling; making insulting, racist, or rude remarks; repeated teasing; harassment, threats, and intimidation; and whispering behind someone’s back.

Relational Bullying • Destroying or manipulating relationships (such as turning someone’s best friend against them). • Includes: humiliating and embarrassing someone; gossiping or spreading rumors or lies; and excluding someone. • Includes: displaying negative body language such as glaring, turning your back on someone, or threatening gestures; and passing mean notes.

Cyberbullying • Using electronic means to embarrass or humiliate someone. • Includes spreading gossip, rumors, and lies; posting embarrassing photos or videos; sending threatening emails or messages; impersonating someone to make them look bad; and sending or posting cruel jokes.

Participants • Bully – the person displaying the negative behaviors. • Victim – the person receiving the negative behaviors. • Bystander – the person who witnesses the interaction between the bully and victim.

Why do people bully others? • • • That is a good question. There are several theories, here a few: They may have family problems. Maybe someone in their family bullies them. Maybe they are angry all or most of the time. They may feel that they have to win all the time and never lose. They might be jealous of other people’s success. They don’t know how to make friends. Maybe they think no one cares about them.

What should I do if I am being bullied? • Tell someone like a friend, teacher, or an adult in your house. • Stand up straight, look the bully in the eye, and say in a firm, confident voice, “Leave me alone” or “Stop it, I don’t like that”. • Stay calm and walk away. • If others are nearby, join them so that you are not alone. • Shout as loudly as you can for the person to stop.

What should I do if I’m a bystander? • Trust your instincts (if it looks like it might be a bullying situation, it probably is). • Ask the person being targeted if they need help. • Decide to be an ally (make a difference in someone’s life). • Decide if the situation is dangerous. • Assertively tell the person who is bullying to stop. • Form a group. • Walk away with the victim. • Give support and empathy. • Report the incident.

If we all work together and treat each other with respect, we might be able to help bullies change their behaviors.

If we all work together, everyone can be bully free!

The End Informational source: The New Bully Free Classroom by Allan L. Beane, Ph. D. Cartoon source: Charles M. Shultz