Sad to say bullying exist in all stages of life and start as early as school and often children do not know what to do and/ or are too scared to act.
We have come up with this checklist to help children know what to do when they are being bullied. It was prepared for younger children experiencing bullying. However, it also works for children that witness someone being bullied and even for the bullies. These bullying tips for children under 12 are great for all children to keep in mind.
Are you being bullied?
Tips are for anyone who is the victim of a bully.
Tell Someone
It can be hard to let anyone know what is going on. Bullies are great at intimidation. They can make you believe that telling will only make it worse. This makes you feel alone and helpless. You are not alone. You need to let someone know whether it be a teacher, parent, or another trusted adult. You can even ask your friends for help. They can go to an adult for you.
Stay Calm
Bullies are not picking on you because they personally don’t like you. They are doing it because they bully because they feel that they need to prove their own worth. They see you as a great target because they think you are weak. Staying calm during the bullying can turn this on them. They want you to get upset, cry, or get mad. They want that power.
Help Others
It is hard to speak out against your bully. Letting someone know is the first step. You also can get involved in letting others know about bullying. Your own problem can help other kids. This allows your whole school to benefit from what you have gone through.
Have you witness another kid being bullied?
Tips are for any kid that witnesses another child being bullied.
Stop It
Bullies work off intimidation. They do not like people standing up to them. They work off of other kids being too scared to get involved. You do not need to fight the bully. All you need to do is step up, stand by the other kid being bullied, and let the bully know that this kid is not alone. You can really help by offering the person being bullied a friend.
Find Help
You can begin helping the bully’s victim by encouraging them to walk away. Take them to a trusted adult and let them know what is happening. They will be able to help stop the bullying. Adult intervention may not seem to work but it does.
Have you Bullied Someone?
Our last tip is targeted towards the bullies themselves.
Commit to Change
If you stop and think for a moment then you are not bullying because you enjoy it. If you are one of the few instances that do enjoy violence then you need to seek help. As you get older, this will only get worse. For most bullies, you are doing this because you don’t feel you are powerful or worth much without bullying. This is not true. Start by committing to stop bullying and saying that you are sorry for your actions. This will not only change your behaviour now but shape the adult that you will become in the future.