Leave Me Alone: Bullying

Things you can do on your own:

• Keep telling yourself that you are a good person
• Learn to be proud of your and other people's differences
• Spend quality time with people that make you feel good
• Help yourself by helping others
• Keep a journal to record your thoughts or feelings
• Draw a picture to illustrate your thoughts or feelings
• Write a song or create a play to share with other kids
• Start a buddy program to help protect yourself and others
• Encourage teachers to ask for assemblies or workshops on bullying.

How to handle the situation:

• Ignore the bully. Try to walk past him/her. Go straight to an adult.
• Don't show that you're upset. Don't give the bully the satisfaction.
• If you do respond, do it firmly and evenly.
• Try to spin a bully's comment into a joke.
• Remember the bully has a problem, not you.
• Pretend the bully's comments are just floating away and popping like bubbles.

If that does not work:

• Talk to people you trust: parents, adult family members, and friends
• Talk to school officials like a teacher or counselor that you trust
• Talk to someone you trust at your church, or synagogue
• Be direct and clear about your concerns so that you are taken seriously
• Bring family or a friend with you as a witness of a possible encounter