How you should deal with bullies at school

Three-quarters of all children say they have been bullied or teased. Bullying and teasing are similar, but one of the key differences between them is intention. Teasing becomes bullying when it is a repetitive behavior with the conscious intention to harm or hurt another child.

Bullying can make children feel hurt, scared, lonely, embarrassed, and sad. In addition, it can also make children fearful of and unwilling to attend school.

Here are some tips on how to deal with bullies at school.

Tell your parent(s) or someone you trust about the bullying. If you are being bullied, it’s very important to tell an adult first and foremost.

Tell your parents the entire story. Parents are here to help and want to know what is going on with you. Your parents, moreover, may then be able to get in touch with staff at the school in order to try to stop the bullying. This is important particularly if you don’t feel comfortable telling your teacher or fear retribution from the bully.

It’s useful if you keep a diary of everything that happens. That way you can let your parents and other adults know about specific incidents

Report bullying and victimization incidents to the school. Inform teachers and other school helpers. These individuals have the power to intervene and help stop bullying. Sometimes bullies stop as soon as a teacher finds out because they’re afraid they’ll get in trouble.

Teachers are especially important resources if you’re being bullied. They can provide protection from bullying by letting you stay in the classroom during recess or by setting up a buddy system on your behalf.

It’s important to let your school know about any bullying incidents because there may be other children being bullied by the same person.

Talk openly about bullying. Just talking to someone about your experience can bring you a bit of relief. Good people to talk to include a guidance counselor, sibling, or friend. They may offer some helpful solutions.