Dealing with bullies
What to do if you’re experiencing bullying❣️
Quick summary ✨
1️⃣ What is bullying?: bullying comes in various forms, including online harassment. A tactic bullies often use is to target your unique qualities, but remember no one ever deserves to be bullied 🙅🏻♀️
2️⃣ How to deal with bullies: responding to bullies can involve ignoring them, staying confident, seeking safety in numbers with friends, and, once again, understanding that it's never your fault ❤️
3️⃣ Seeking support: don't hesitate to talk to a trusted adult, teacher, or use a bullying helpline for guidance and assistance. You're not alone, and there are people who want to help 🤝
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Dealing with bullies can be really tough 😖 and bullying can happen in many forms. It can be physical, verbal, or emotional, and can happen in person or online 📱 It can be targeted towards your race, gender, sexuality, religion or anything else that makes you unique. But no matter what form it takes, it's important to remember that you don’t deserve it and there are ways to help it❣️
So, what can you do if you’re being bullied?
Try to ignore the bully: sometimes, bullies just want attention. If you don’t react, they might get bored and move on ✋
Stay confident: bullies like to target people who they think are weak or vulnerable. If you show them that you’re not an easy target and that you won’t be intimidated, they might just back off 💯
Stick with friends: if you ever feel threatened, stick with a group of friends. Don’t fight back physically, as this can escalate the situation and make things worse. Instead, surround yourself with people you trust – there’s safety in numbers 💞
Remember that bullying is never your fault: bullies can often try to make their victims feel like it’s their fault, but it’s not. No one deserves to be bullied, and there’s nothing wrong with you for being targeted 🙅
Make sure to take care of yourself: dealing with bullies can be stressful, so make sure you take care of yourself by doing things you enjoy and spending time with people who make you feel good about yourself 🌱
Talk to a teacher or parent about what’s going on: luna gets that it can be hard to bring something like this up, but it’s really important that you do. They can help you come up with a plan to deal with the situation ❤️
Call a helpline: if you feel like you have nowhere to turn, you can use a bullying helpline or website for more advice. There’s some links in the references which you could use if you need ☎️
Unfortunately, bullies may come up in some form or another as you go through life, but what’s key to remember is that you’re not alone and it is not your fault. There are people who care and what to help – together we can stand up to bullies and make our communities safer and happier places to be 😊
How we answered this question:
luna's team of experts comprises GPs, Dermatologists, Safeguarding Leads and Junior Doctors as well as Medical Students with specialised interests in paediatric care, mental health and gynaecology. Questions are answered and reviewed by this team.
Sources:
National Bullying Helpline
https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/NSPCC 'Bullying and cyberbullying'
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/bullying-and-cyberbullying/Young Minds 'How to deal with bullying'
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/bullying/