Know What to Look For to Help Stop Bullying
Bullying remains an issue in schools, online and within communities across the country. What may start with mean and rude comments could lead to something far more serious. Bullying behavior is categorized as aggressive, repetitive and an imbalance of power. While there are different forms of bullying, there are ways to identify, stand up to and help prevent each one.
Recognize the signs of bullying
Bullying is more than a one-time tease or unintentionally embarrassing someone. There are different types of bullying, such as:
- Physical: hitting, pushing or damaging property
- Verbal: name-calling, threats or insults
- Social: spreading rumors, exclusion or public humiliation
- Cyberbullying: sending hurtful messages online or through texts
Whether there’s one person targeting another or groups teaming up against each other, both parties can show identifying factors of bullying. Here are some examples:
The ones being bullied may exhibit the following:
- Unexplained injuries
- Lost or destroyed belongings
- Frequent headaches, stomachaches or faking illness
- Drop in grades or fearful about attending school
- Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
- Anxious, withdrawn or decreased self-esteem
- Self-destructive behaviors such as running away, self-harm or mentioning suicide*
The ones who bully exhibit the following:
- Physically or verbally abusive
- Friends with others who bully
- Increasingly aggressive
- Often at the principal’s office or in detention
- Unexplained extra money or new belongings
- Transferring blame or not taking responsibility for their actions
- Overly competitive and worried about their popularity
Detecting these signs early can be crucial to effective intervention. Before any confrontation, it’s helpful to know where to find support and the steps to take to help diffuse a delicate situation.
What to do about bullying
It may feel difficult to stand up to those who bully on your own, but you don’t have to. Not only are there support systems at school, home and throughout the community, there are also techniques to try that may help to avoid the behavior, even without engaging an aggressor.
- Walk away. Remove yourself from the situation, especially if you don’t feel safe. It helps to prevent escalation and shows you can rise above negativity.
- Tell someone. Seek out a trusted parent, teacher, counselor or coach. Reporting someone who is bullying is not tattling; it’s standing up for yourself.
- Document the behavior. Save any written form of bullying. Screenshot texts or online messages as evidence when you report it to authorities.
- Speak up. If you feel safe and comfortable, tell the person who’s bullying to stop. Use a calm, clear tone. Avoid trying to argue or show anger. Assertiveness may be enough to show you’re not going to accept their behavior.
Even if you’re not the one being bullied, there’s still a way you can help stop aggressive behavior when you see it. You can be the one to report the incident, speak up to the instigator or show support by simply asking the one who is being bullied how they’re doing. Not only is this an act of kindness and courage, but it could also help deter the intimidator from coming back.
How to help prevent bullying
The key to preventing bullying is to start early and show kindness. Modeling respectful behaviors — such as empathy, inclusion and calm assertiveness — helps children understand how to act properly and handle conflict.
When you create an encouraging environment with open communication at home, school and community organizations, you can help reduce bullying by setting clear expectations of what’s acceptable. Children who feel supported are often more confident and less likely to be bullied — or at least likely to speak up when they identify a negative situation.
Focus on building self-esteem and social skills to empower children to stand up for themselves and others. Whether you’re a target or witness to bullying, address the issue early to help maintain a positive space for all to grow and thrive.
In case of a mental health crisis, call 988. For physical health emergencies, call 911 or seek the nearest emergency room.
Source: stopbullying.gov