What is Bullying?

Who are Bullies?

Victims of Bullies

How Bullies Bully

How do you deal with bullies?

Tips for children in dealing with bullies

How can you help your child deal with the bullying?

Your child is the bully!!

Preventing Bullying

In Closing

Bullies are everywhere, from the playground to the workplace. They start their bully ways as children. Some grow out of it, some see the error of their ways, some are shown the error of their ways, and some never change. Bullies lack self-confidence and self-esteem, so to feel important, they think they must bully those who possess these traits. Their philosophy of social hierarchy is:

• I am at this level.

• You are above me.

• Rather than working to achieve or exceed your level, I will work to bring you down to my level.

• Then I will be superior to you.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is a conscious and wilful act of aggression and/or manipulation by one or more people against another person or people. It is sometimes premeditated, and sometimes opportunistic, sometimes directed mainly towards one victim, and sometimes occurring serially and randomly. Bullying is a cowardly act because it is done to cause hurt without fear of recrimination. The victimized person is unlikely to retaliate effectively, if at all, nor are they likely to tell anyone about it. Bullying relies on those who are marginally involved, often referred to as observers, onlookers, or watchers, doing nothing to stop the bullying or becoming actively involved in supporting it.

Bullying contains the following elements:

• Harm is intended.

• There is an imbalance of power.

• Bullying is often organized and systematic.

• Bullying is repetitive, occurring over a period of time; or it is a random but serial activity carried out by someone who is feared for this behaviour.

• Hurt experienced by a victim of bullying can be external (physical) and/or internal (psychological).

Bullying can take many forms: physical, emotional, verbal or a combination of these. It may involve one child bullying another, a group of children against a single child or groups against other groups (gangs). It is not unlike other forms of victimization and abuse in that it involves:

• Differing emotional tones, the victim will be upset whereas the bully is cool and in control

• Blaming the victim for what has happened

• Lack of concern on the part of the bully for the feelings and concerns of the victim

• Lack of compassion

Who are Bullies?

Bullies are very often people who have been bullied or abused themselves. Sometimes they are experiencing life situations they can't cope with, that leave them feeling helpless and out of control. They may have poor social skills, do not fit in, and cannot meet the expectations of their family, school, or bosses. They bully to feel competent, successful, to control someone else, to get some relief from their own feelings of powerlessness.

Things that might cause someone to turn into a bully:

• Might be picked on by someone else so they pick on you so that they think that they feel strong

• Might not have any friends and be jealous of people that do have friends

• May be picked on by their parents

• Might be having trouble understanding their school work

• May not know how to feel happy

Things that victims may have that the bully does not have:

• Sense of humour

• Interesting life

• Friends

• Hobbies and sport interests

• People that like them

• Parents that love them

Victims of Bullies

Bullies choose the weak or those perceived as weak as their victims. Their victims tend to have the following characteristics:

• Low self-esteem

• Insecure

• Lack of social skills

• Not able to pick up on social cues

• Cry or easily become emotionally distraught

• Unable to defend or stand up for themselves

Some people actually seem to provoke their own victimization. They will tease bullies and make themselves a target by egging the bully on and then, not know when to stop, they are unable to effectively defend themselves when the balance of power shifts to the bully.

People who are not bullied tend to have better social skills and conflict management skills. They are more willing to assert themselves about differences without being aggressive or confronting. They suggest compromises and alternate solutions. They tend to be more aware of people's feelings and are the people who can be most helpful in resolving disputes and assisting other victims to get help.

How Bullies Bully

Some bullies tease and harass. Some use force, to achieve their purposes, but that takes effort, so most rely on intimidation. The threat of a punch in the nose is worse than an actual punch in the nose. Once punched its over, except for the healing. However, a threat of harm will have you leery, cautious, and worrying for weeks and months to come. When a bully says "You better watch your back because I'll get you!", it is better to deal with the situation immediately than to worry about it for weeks. One way to deal with the threat is to say "No, I won't be watching my back because we are going to settle this NOW!" and then take action to settle it now.

Some bullies get their way most of the time so they continue their bully ways their entire life, and some even become apparently successful in life. But their life is always stressful and usually their successes are gained illegally. Bullies do not lead what most would consider a desirable life, even when they outwardly appear to be "successful," i.e. lots of of money and "things." Most times their bully ways lead them into failure and/or judicial or non-judicial punishment, but some times they live an affluent life and die of old age. So is life. Nobody said life is fair.

How do you deal with bullies?

The worst thing you can do to a bully is be a successful, productive, respected member of your community, be it your school, neighborhood, or work place. Then they have failed to bring you down to their level.

Bullies always take the easy way. It is easier to intimidate the weak than to fight the strong. In the 1958 Marlon Brando movie The Young Lions, Montgomery Clift plays a young, quiet, and slight Jewish G.I. who, while in camp, get beaten up repeatedly by the platoon bully. The bully is all bravado when picking on a little guy, but later when it comes time to fight in France, it is Clift who is the hero and the bully who is the coward.

Bullies only fight when they think they will easily win, so they only chose fights with the seemly weak. When dealing with a bully, do not back down. This means they won, so they will be back to bully you again. Do not confront the bully but do not let them dictate what you are doing.

Do not challenge a bully, unless you have the ability to backup your challenge and are willing to accept that the bully will probably be back with reinforcements at a later time. To not deliver ultimatums unless you are willing to carry them out. If you say "Get out of my way!" and the bully does not move, then you have many other options. If you say "Get out of my way or I will move you!" and the bully does not move, then your only options are to either attempt to move the bully or to back down and let the bully win.

Be confident. To deal with a bully, exude quiet self-confidence and do not let them draw you into their liar. Do not act superior or snobbish, just action in rational, calm, unemotional, professional manner. Taekwondo teaches you to act this way. With Taekwondo training, your posture, mannerisms, and demeanor project a confident person that is ready to handle anything. It is not a conscious thing, it is just the way you act even when not aware of it. You project the image of a person who can handle anything. Bullies do not want to deal with this type of person, they deal with the weak. Bullies will soon move on to weaker opponents.

Be brave. When you are frightened, anxious, or afraid of another person, it can be tough to act brave. But sometimes acting brave is enough to stop a bully. If you walk as though you're not afraid and hold your head high, it might not be so much fun for the bully and he or she might just give up. You can stand up for yourself with words by telling the bully to stop or by walking away. Ignoring the bully or pretending the bully doesn't exist are also ways to stop the bully's behavior.

Do not be afraid. Believe in nothing the bully has been saying to you. A bully works best with lies and deception Do not succumb to the lies. You are not the problem, the bully is.

Eye contact. Do not try to stare down a bully. Make casual eye contact and act uninterested. It you maintain eye contact, it may be interpreted as a challenge.

Stay around friends. If you are being bullied, sometimes an older brother or sister can help by looking out for you. It's also a good idea to surround yourself with your classmates or friends and try to remain part of a group. Bullies can be very brave when their victims are alone. If you have friends or classmates who are being bullied, watch out for them and try to get all of your friends or classmates to be with that person before and after school.

Keep a record of what has happened, e.g. the words used, the actions taken, the frequency, venue, time, etc. Collect proof. Be careful and only write down things that have happened. Your records will come in very useful when you want to prove who is the bully or when planning to take legal action.

Do not keep it to yourself. Do not try to deal with the problem on your own. There's nothing wrong in asking for help - we all have to do it during our lives. It shows how strong you are and how you can deal with the problem in an adult way.

Tell someone. The first and most important thing to do is tell someone. Find an adult you can trust and explain the situation to them. If they do not listen, do not give up - find someone else to talk to.

Talk to your family or close friends. Let it out of your head, do not keep it inside. It's good to know that there will be people supporting you.

At work. Talk to a person in high position in the company about what has been going on. If the person does not want to believe you, talk to your local unions, or employment governing bodies for advice.

Tell the truth. When telling someone what has happened, even if you think it might seem small to them, do not be tempted to make anything up or exaggerate. Not only is it not good to lie (something that bullies often do), it never works out in the end. When people find out you have made something up, they will not believe anything else you say.

Speak out. Even if you are not being bullied, you can take a stand against it. If you see bullying occur, tell an adult. Everyone needs to make it unacceptable for any form of bullying to occur anywhere.

Do not blame yourself. It is not your fault that you are being bullied. The people who are doing this have the problem, not you. If you can try to accept this and feel better about yourself, it will give you greater confidence.

Tips for children in dealing with bullies

• At Lunch

• Move your seat! Ask a friend to move with you. If you are not allowed to change seats, ask an adult if you can change it. If they say no, tell your parents so they can talk to the person in charge to get your seat changed.

•  Sit close to an adult! Bullies cannot bully around an adult, so sit as close to one as you can. If an adult who is supervising does not see the problem, tell a teacher you trust or your parents.

• Be the first one to enter the lunchroom and the first one to leave! Do not waste time in the halls when going to lunch or when getting back to class after lunch. Wasting time only gives bullies more opportunity to bother you.

• On the Bus

• Sit near the front of the bus! Sitting close to the driver will make bullies more cautious.

• Do not stay silent! Unless you feel that another kid will physically attack you if you speak up, remaining completely silent while kids are harassing you will only give them reason to keep doing it. Try one of the following:

• Directly ask them to stop.

• Distract them by starting a different conversation that might interest them.

• Diffuse their attack by giving them some sign their words are harmless to you, such as saying “Yeah, right!” or try laughing along with them,even if you don’t think it’s funny.

• Sit with friends! There are strength in numbers. You are less likely to be singled out if you are sitting with others.

• In the Hall

• Always be aware of who is ahead of you! If you see a bully or teaser ahead of you, do not pass the person and give him/her the opportunity to bother you by noticing that you are there! Take your time and slow down a little so they get farther ahead of you.

• Always be aware of who is behind you! Do not allow a bully or teaser to stay behind you in the hall. They will most likely follow you until you have reached a part of the school with no teachers around so they can harass you without fear of being caught. If you notice a bully or teaser behind you, stop and let them pass. Stop to say hello to a favourite teacher or go to the front office or the nurses office to say hello.

• Go a different way when possible! If your school has a first and second floor you may have a choice of taking more than one way to class. Choose the safest way, even if the safest one is the longest one, it is worth the longer walk to prevent giving the bully or teaser an opportunity to bother you.

• Online

• Do not respond to the message! Although it is very tempting to tell them off, it is not a good idea. This may only get them angry and cause more problems for you. They also can print out your message and use it against you by showing it to teachers or to the principal to say you are bothering them and not the other way around.

• Get out of the chat room! If someone is making fun of you or is threatening you in a chat room, leave that room. Take down their screen name and report them to your online provider.

• Print out any threatening or harassing messages! You can not prove it is happening if you do not print out the evidence. Show the printed out message to your parents. It is against the law to threaten or harass someone online.

• Report inappropriate messages to your online provider! Most online services will suspend individuals who violate online rules. Let them get what is coming to them and report the violation to get them off the net.

• Bullies who are popular

• Do not exchange insults with popular kids! This will only make them try harder to make you look bad in front of others. Try ignoring them when they have an audience or agree with them to get them to stop, such as by saying“You’re right, I am a terrible basketball player.” Later, when they do not have an audience, you can approach them to tell them to stop.

• Do not accept getting teased to fit in with the popular group! Some kids tolerate teasing to be accepted by a popular group of kids. If you are hoping they will stop teasing you as soon as they get to know you, it most likely will not happen.

• Do not hesitate to report the bullying or harassment! Many popular kids are very concerned about remaining popular, not only among their classmates but among their teachers. Mention what is happening to a teacher or counsellor you trust. An adult talking with a student in this situation may be enough to stop it.

• Great comeback lines for TOUGH situations!

• The key to comeback lines is to avoid the temptation to trade name calling or personal insults with the bully or teaser. A great comeback line is brief and to the point and leaves the bully or teaser feeling that they did not get to you. Always look them in the eye and keep cool, anger is a sign to them that what they are doing is working. Try some of the following, however always remember, if another student is threatening physical violence toward you, do not say anything to him/her and do your best to get away from the situation and to where a teacher or other adult is located.

• "Why do you waste your time saying that stuff to me? Try someone else."

• "Those things are ridiculous, but whatever."

• "I don't do this to you. You should really think about that."

• "I'm not sure why you keep saying these things to me, but it really doesn't matter."

• "Okay. Finished?"

• "That's funny, but enough already okay?"

• "You really got me with that one, but enough already okay?"

• "Here we go again, Tell me when your done."

How can you help your child deal with the bullying?

• First, help teach the child to avoid being an easy target. Start with posture, voice and eye contact. These can communicate a lot about whether you are vulnerable. Practice with a mirror or even videotape.

• Role Play. Just as in prevention of child abuse, role-play is what makes the skills real. Actually walk through situations and have your child practice different responses. Discuss prevention techniques such as staying with other kids. Do not get involved with bullies in any kind of interchange. Do not take it personally, it's really the bullies problems that are causing the situation, not you.

• Tell your child to avoid isolated places where no one can see or hear him/her. He/she should learn to be vigilant for suspicious individuals or for trouble brewing.

• If bullying starts, he/she might be able to deflect it with humour or by changing the subject. He/she should run over a list of positive attributes in his/her mind. This reminds him/her that he/she is worthy of something better than bullying behaviour.

• Teach your child not to obey the commands of the bully. Often it is better to walk away than to comply.

• The parent may help the child make more positive friends. If he/she sticks around with a group, he/she is less likely to be a target.

• Finally, if the child sticks up for other children he/she sees being bullied, people may get the idea that he/she is not someone who tolerates bullies.

• The child must learn to discriminate the difference between social bullying and more dangerous physically threatening situations. If he/she is in an isolated place and truly feels physically threatened, he/she should give the bully the item demanded. However, if someone is demanding that he/she get into the car of a stranger, he/she should resist with as much force as possible. Once he/she gets away, he/she should notify a responsible adult as soon as possible.

Your child is the bully!!

Your first response to this will probably be defensive. You should disarm the situation and buy yourself some time to process what is being said. For example, "Instead of labelling my child, please tell me what happened." Make yourself listen. Remember that this discussion is ultimately about the well-being of your child, regardless of how its being framed.

Even if your child is behaving aggressively or acting like a bully, remember that this behaviour is probably coming from your child's feelings of vulnerability. You need to look for what is going on in your child's interactions with others and what is going on internally, causing your child to behave that way.

In talking with your child, do not blame the child. Do not get into a discussion about the "whys" of what happened. Your discussion should focus on several key points:

• Bullying is not acceptable in our family or in society.

• If you are feeling frustrated or angry or aggressive, here are some things you can do.

• Remember to role-play, act out the new behaviours.

• Ask, how can I help you with this? Who could you go to in school if you see yourself getting into this type of situation again?

• Specify concretely the consequences if the aggression or bullying continue.

• You want to stop the behaviour, understand your child's feelings, then teach and reward more appropriate behaviour.

Preventing Bullying

As soon as children begin to interact with others, we can begin to teach them not to be bullies and not to be bullied. We can give them words for their feelings, limit and change their behaviour, and teach them better ways to express their feelings and wishes. Children do not learn to solve these kinds of problems and get along by themselves. We need to teach them.

When preschoolers begin to call people names or use unkind words, intervene immediately and consistently. In kindergarten children learn the power of exclusion. We begin to hear things like, "She's not my friend and she can't come to my party." Respond with, "You don't have to be friends with her today, but it's not all right to make her feel bad by telling her she can't come to your party."

In the early elementary grades, cliques and little groups develop which can be quite exclusionary and cruel. Children need to hear clearly from us, "It's not all right to treat other people this way. How do you think she feels being told she can't play with you? Kids don't have to play with everyone or even like everyone, but they can't be cruel about excluding others.

Boys who are physically small or weak are more prone to victimization. Making fun, picking on and other forms of bullying need to be identified in their earliest stages. The message needs to be crystal clear: This is not okay. Think about how he must feel. How could you include him and let other kids know its not all right to treat others this way?

Children who are not bullies or victims have a powerful role to play in shaping the behaviour of other children. Teach your children to speak up on behalf of children being bullied. "Don't treat her that way, it's not nice." "Hitting is not a good way to solve problems, let's find a teacher and talk about what happened."

• Encourage your kids to tell you, a teacher, or another adult when they're having a problem. It's important for them to let someone know early, before the situation escalates.

• Explain the difference between tattling and telling. Tattling is when you report something just to get someone in trouble. Telling is when you report that you or someone else is in danger.

• Insist on the buddy system to and from school and in the neighbourhood. Children give each other support, and a child who has friends is less of a target. Encourage kids to reach out to other kids. That way they can watch out for one another.

In Closing

Avoid violence. It may be tempting, but it will not solve anything. You have stooped to their level. Others might even think you are the bully. However, sometimes a situation deteriorates into violence. You try to avoid it, but if things become physical, then so be it. Just make sure your actions are in the right. If violence ensues, do not take vengeance on the bully, just contain or eliminate the threat. How far things go depends on the situation and how far you are willing to go to live your life in the way you want and not the way the bully wants. Sometimes, people would rather die for what is right than to live as a coward.

Bullying Online Help: www.bullying.co.uk