This Friday, March 16th, is National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. As a school, we have registered for this initiative and will be promoting it both within the school and also in the wider community. The theme for this year is ‘Imagine a World with no Bullying’. Students will be engaged in a range of activities to help support this important message.
Please visit the “Bullying No Way” website for more information.
Bullying is when someone:
- Keeps picking on you again and again and tries to make you feel bad.
- Says or does lots of mean things that upset you a lot.
- Makes fun of you a lot.
- Tries to stop you from joining in or to make others not like you.
- Keeps hurting you, such as hitting or punching you.
Bullying is never okay. It can make you feel awful. You have a right to feel safe. Tell someone immediately if you are worried you are going to get hurt.
If you are being bullied, you might try some of the following strategies to help you:
- Tell the other person ‘I don’t like that’. Use a strong and confident voice. Even if you don’t feel strong and confident, fake it!
- Talk with the person who is bullying you (if you think it’s a safe thing to do). Ask them if there is a problem that you might be able to sort out together. If you feel too scared to do it alone, ask a friend to come with you.
- If possible, ignore the person bullying you. When they are ignored, kids who bully often lose interest. If that doesn’t work, tell someone and ask for their help.
- Don’t try to get back at the person who bullies you. It usually doesn’t work, and you can end up in trouble too.
- Hang around people who help you feel good about yourself. Friends don’t bully you. They care about you and are fun to be around.
- Stay confident and positive!