What can you do to stop bullying?

How do you feel at school? How do you enjoy working with your classmates? Is it easy for you to participate in class? Do your classmates respect your likes and dislikes? Do you respect your classmates’ opinions and interests? Do you help your classmates when they need it?

CHECK EXERCISE

Select the "emoji" that represents what the image makes you feel.

Being at school should be like a place where everyone is respected and where everyone is safe. But sometimes we feel uncomfortable and we hate our classmates. Why? Because they are bullies.

Bullying is a serious problem in many places, particularly at school. Bullying can take different forms. There are three types of bullying: Verbal bullying, Social bullying and Physical bullying.

Verbal bullying is saying or writing unkind things. It is when for example, a person uses verbal language to gain power over another person. Using nicknames can be used as a bad thing because they can be considered as bullying.

Social bullying refers to hurting someone’s reputation or relationship. Here, people don’t want to be friends with someone, spread rumors about someone, make fun of someone in public or don’t let people be part of their school teams.

Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. If somebody kicks a person, spits on his possessions, pushes someone, breaks his belonging or makes rude hand gestures, well, that is physical bullying.

 What can I do to stop bullying?

  • First, you have to keep in mind that everyone is different. Not better or worse. Just different. Everyone has different talents and at school we can reach goals if we help each other and if we are tolerant.
  • If you think you have bullied someone in the past, apologize. Everyone feels better.
  • Every student has the right to feel safe at school. If you think you can’t help, tell an adult about the situation. Teachers can help students find a solution.
  • Put yourself in somebody else's shoes. It means that if someone pushes you around, laughs at you, gossips about you, makes fun of you, ignores you on purpose, you’d probably want someone to help you stop being bullied.
  • Don’t join in. If you see that someone laughs at a classmate, instead of turning your back, help that classmate to turn his or her back on the bullying by walking to class with him or her, telling them that they don’t deserve what’s happening to them.
  •  Make your classmates feel that they’re not alone.

Remember:

  • Respect your classmates. Don’t make fun of them if they make a mistake. They are learning and you, too.
  • Try to help in class. If you see that someone has problems at understanding a topic or doing an exercise, help them. That makes you be better.
  • Everyone has his own beliefs and opinions. We probably disagree with them but that isn’t a reason to bully a person.

“We all have the ability to be kind but not all of us choose to be kind. Make someone’s day better, put in effort. And you can learn how far a little bit of kindness can go”.

Writing exercise

Now that you know more about what bullying implies, answer the following questions.

1. This is an example of verbal bullying.

When a person uses a nickname to insult a person.

2. This is an example of physical bullying.

When a person excludes another person.

3. This is an example or social bullying.

When a person kicks someone's backpack.

4. What can you do to stop bullying? Mention three actions.

Respect other's opinions. / If you are good at something, help others that aren't. / Look for help.