If you are frightened for getting bullied, you can:
- Talk to your AIEO (ATA or AEW), the school support person, a teacher or a staff member you feel comfortable with. The school cannot do anything about the bullying if they don't know about it. If you are a bit nervous about talking to a teacher, take a friend with you.
- Your parents and carers need to know. Tell your parents and carers or another adult you trust. Sometimes kids feel shame telling adults about bullying. Don't be. Usually your family is the best to tell because they can help you work out the best way to get the bullying to stop.
- Talk to a friend or another student you trust. Ask for advice or just talk to them about how you feel.
- When you tell someone about bullying, you are helping to protect others as well as yourself.
- If you are frightened of being bullied, and feel like you have no one to talk to, you can try KIDS HELPLINE – 1800 55 1800. It is really important to share with someone what is happening.
Help! I am being bullied now
We know how awful bullying can be and how hard it can be to talk about it. We also know that there are things you can do to make it stop. It is always the right thing to ask for help or support if you feel you can’t deal with the situation yourself.
-
What to do when bullying is happening
If you feel you can’t do anything to stop bullying, try these tips: - Stay calm – the person bullying you will be less likely to continue if you act like what they are doing does not upset you.
- Calmly move away from the person or people – try to ignore the person bullying you by calmly walking away.
- If they try to stop or block you, be firm and clear – look confident and tell them to stop.
- Don’t fight back – fighting back could make the situation worse; you could get hurt or be blamed for starting the trouble.
- Tell an adult what has happened straight away.
I am being teased
People who tease to make others feel bad want the person they are teasing to get upset or angry and fight back. This is the reaction they are looking for and this is what will keep them going.
- Taking the sting out of teasing
- Ignore it – the person teasing you wants you to get upset, so ignore them.
- Stay calm – if you are nasty to the person (or their friends), you will be doing what they are doing to you and this will only make things worse.
- Don’t say too much – keep your response short and don’t get into an argument.
- Be cool if you want to say something back – stand up straight, speak clearly and look confident even if you aren’t.
- Speak and move on – say your piece then walk away, ignoring any other comments.
- Know when to walk away – if you are getting upset or scared, it is better to simply walk away and get help from someone else.
I am being cyber bullied (computer or phone)
Cyber bullying is when you are being bullied by mobile phone, text messages, email, on social network sites, or in chat rooms. If this is happening to you, it is important to do the following:
- make a copy of the message and save it
- block the sender and report them to the internet service provider
- tell someone in your family or teacher straight away
- be careful to only give your mobile phone number or email address to someone you trust
I am feeling winyarn
Bullying can make you feel bad. It can sometimes make you feel like it's your fault that someone is bullying you. It's not! There are things you can do. Here are some tips for staying safe.
- Ways to stay safe if you are worried for getting bullied
- Try not to be alone – stay in safe areas of the school during breaks and lunchtimes where there are plenty of other people. This might stop the person from bullying you until you talk to an adult.
- Stay calm – if you don’t act upset or react the way they want you to, they might get bored and stop.
- Talk to an adult you trust – AIEO (ATA or AEW) or someone in your family) – keep talking to them even if you think the bullying has stopped.
- Sit near the driver – see if you can walk with other people who live near you even if they are older or younger.
- Walking home – say your piece then walk away, ignoring any other comments.
- Think positively – you are a good person; remind yourself of your strengths and the things you are good at.
Am I bullying?
Sometimes kids bully without knowing they are doing it or that they may be hurting someone else.
- If you are unsure, ask yourself:
- Are my actions or words hurting someone else’s feelings?
- Are my actions hurting someone else physically?
- Are my actions or words making someone else feel afraid?
- Am I trying to control someone else?
- Am I deliberately taking out my feelings of anger or frustration on someone else?
- Would I like it if someone did this to me again and again?
If you think you might be bullying someone, try talking to a trusted adult about how you can make the situation better.
Who can I ask for help?
Asking for help or talking to someone about it is not being weak or 'giving in'. There are many people who might be able to help, including friends, older brothers and sisters, teachers, AIEO's, aunties, nanas, mum and dad, or counsellors.
Asking for help at school
Don’t let the bullying go on. Teachers can’t do anything about bullying if they don't know about it. Take a friend with you if you are a bit nervous about talking to a teacher.
- Who can I talk to at school if I am being bullied?
- Talk to the AIEO (ATA or AEW).
- Talk to another teacher or a staff member you feel comfortable with.
- Tell someone in your family or another adult you trust. Sometimes kids feel shame when telling adults about bullying. Don’t. Usually your family are the best people to tell because they will help you work out the best way to get the bullying to stop.
- Talk to a friend or another student you trust. Ask for advice or just talk to them about how you feel.
Who else can I talk to?
You might find it helpful to talk to someone who doesn’t work at your school or belong to your family, like:
- a youth worker
- a sports coach
- a shop lady
- another trusted adult
- Remember: Telling someone that you are being bullied is NOT telling tales or dobbing.
- ‘Dobbing’ is when a person tries to get attention or to get someone else into trouble.
- ‘Asking for help’ is when someone feels the situation is out of his or her control and he or she is unable to deal with it alone. If you see someone else in this situation you should also ask for help.
- Asking for help is always okay. By telling someone, you are helping protect others as well as yourself from bullying.
- What you can do
- If you do feel any of these things, it is important to remember that bullying is not your fault and that you never deserve to be bullied. It is really important to talk to someone about what is going on. If you feel there isn’t anyone you can talk to, try KIDS HELPLINE – 1800 55 1800
