How to Beat a Bully

Bullying Awareness Month – October 2018

October is Bullying Awareness Month and similar to the pumpkins we see all around town during this time and similar to the ones above, we are all different in our own ways. A bully is someone who takes advantage of those differences and hurts another person through harm, intimidation, or coercion. This can include bullying someone based on the color of the other person’s skin, who they “like-like”, who their friends are, how much money they have, etc.

There are two different kinds of bullying that affects the victim on different social levels: the individual or collective. These can be broken down even more as follows:

1. Individual bullying includes physical, verbal, relational and cyber-bullying.

2. Collective bullying includes mobbing and can include any of the individual types of bullying as well.

Examples of individual bullying

Physical bullying is any action that hurts someone’s body or damages their possessions. This can include:

• Pushing/Shoving

• Biting

• Kicking

• Hitting

• Fighting

• Choking

• Pinching

• Poking

• Stealing

• Destroying property

Verbal bullying is through speech and is the most common form of bullying, especially in groups of girls. Girls use these techniques in order to gain control over another individual as well as express their superiority. This can include:

• Name-calling

• Spreading rumors

• Threats

• Making fun of someone

Relational bullying is when someone wants to damage someone’s reputation or social standing. This type of bullying may include different verbal or physical threats to an individual in order for the bully to gain a higher social standing or to control their victim. This is typically a form of bullying that is favored by young girls as well.

Cyber-bullying is the using computers, phones, tablets, etc. to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. This includes:

• Email

• Social Networking Sites (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, etc.)

• Text messages

• Instant messaging

Examples of Collective bulLying

Mobbing is when a group of people bully one person. The group can include family members, friends, classmates, co-workers, neighbors, community members, or online groups involving any of the individual forms of bullying that are shown above.

How to Beat Bullying:

1. Acknowledge what is going on

   Don’t keep it a secret; tell your friends and family because it shouldn’t be embarrassing for you, it is embarrassing for the bully.

2. Confront a bully!

   Do not allow the behavior to continue, it is not normal.

3. Do not encourage a bully

   If you see someone getting bullied, do not laugh along with what is going on because then you become a bully yourself.

4. Battle Buddies

   In the military, a soldier is not allowed to do anything by him or herself in order to assure the safety of the member. Have a buddy to help in combat the bully, it’s easier when you have somebody in your corner with you.

5. Confidence is key!

   If you have thick skin, there is a good chance the behavior or threatening words that are being thrown your way won’t stick. When a bully doesn’t receive the attention or reaction they want, more often than not, they will not continue the behavior.