What is Bullying?
Bullying is when someone is hurt by unwanted words or actions, usually more than once and has a hard time stopping what is happening to them.
Note: This is not a school or legal definition, but rather a way to help understand and identify bullying.
- Where Does Bullying Happen?
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- Bullying can happen anywhere. It can occur in your neighborhood, while going to school, at school, and while online.
- What is Cyberbullying?
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- Using technology—internet, email, cell phones, social media, pictures— to hurt or harm someone else.
- Includes:
- Sending mean text messages
- Posting statements online that are unkind or not true
- Sending or posting pictures that are not yours to share
- Making negative comments online about someone
- Agreeing with someone who posts something hurtful
- Bullying is never okay, cool, or acceptable.
- No one EVER deserves to be bullied.
Targets of Bullying – what can they do?
If you’re being bullied, there’s a lot you can do:
- Know that you do not deserve what is happening.
- Tell someone: your parents, a teacher or trusted adult.
- Develop a plan, with the help of an adult, about how you can respond to the situation.
- Decide—with the help of an adult—how other students might help.
- Know your rights: most states have laws against bullying.
What to do if you see bullying
- Maybe there’s been a time when you’ve seen bullying and wanted to stop it, but weren’t sure what you could do. Lots of kids have felt that way, too. Know this: if you see bullying happen, there are so many ways you can help stop it.
Even a small act helps make a difference. When kids stand together against bullying, they can make their classroom, their school, where they live, and even the world a better place!
Here are six ways kids can help:
- Ask the kid who is bullying to stop
- Why does this help? Sometimes kids don’t realize that what they are doing is hurting someone else. Speaking out against bullying helps everyone.
- Don’t join in.
- Why does this help? Someone who bullies often likes an audience; it makes it more fun for them. If you ignore the bullying, it shows them it’s not cool. Be a kid against bullying.
- Help get the person being bullied away from the situation.
- Why does this help? It is easy for someone to be bullied when no one sticks up for them. Be a friend. Walk with them to class, play with them on the playground, and let them know they’re not alone.
- Tell an adult.
- Why does this help? Adults really do care. They are the ones who can enforce the rules. It can be done while the bullying is happening or after.
- Let them know that no one deserves to be bullied.
- Why does this help? Kids who are bullied often feel alone, like no one cares, like it might even be their fault. Let them know that someone cares.
- Ask others to stand against bullying.
- Why does this help? When kids stick together and don’t accept bullying, they can change what has happened to so many for so long. Together we can make a difference.
Students are encouraged to take the Pledge to create a world without bullying through kindness and acceptance.
Take the pledge. Make a commitment to:
- support others who have been hurt or harmed
- treat others with kindness
- be more accepting of people’s differences
- help include those who are left out
