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If you've not been hurt, then you've not been bullied….right?WRONG! Bullying isn't just about physical violence such as hitting or kicking. It is a much bigger subject and sometimes, people don't even realise that they are being 'bullied'. As part of the Connexions subjects, bullying is an important topic because it links into subjects such as relationships and health, but can also affect your education and career opportunities as well. |
NO! Bullying is often talked about in school, but it doesn't have to be just
about school. People can be bullied at other places such as leisure groups or
clubs, at work, at home, on the street at a party. The point is, that there
isn't a certain place that bullying happens. Often people suffer in silence.
They don't think that they are being 'bullied' because it doesn't 'fit into'
their idea of what bullying is.
Bullying can be any treatment from other people, where you feel humiliated, lonely, frightened, left out, pushed around or anything else that makes you feel unhappy and uncomfortable. It can be extremely upsetting. Sometimes it can start very gradually, unnoticeable even and other times it can start very suddenly and be really obvious. Sometimes bullying can involve physical harm such as hitting, kicking, slapping or even wounding another person, but it can also be mental abuse such as name calling, provocation (winding you up or taunting you), spreading untrue rumours or threatening to hurt someone. Some bullies play stupid games like damaging property or forcing a person to move from their seat or hand over money or personal items. Some bullies even use their mobile phones, email or chat programmes to bully other people. Whatever they do, when they are forcing another person to do something they don't want to, to feel miserable for no reason or to hurt them….they are BULLYING!
Unfortunately, people being bullied have to be very brave in order to make it stop. No matter how much you are being threatened, the bullies are relying on the fact that you might be too frightened to tell anyone about what is happening. Remember, in the big wide world, bullies are not cool, most people look down on them and are not impressed. If you can tell a friend, teacher, parent, Connexions adviser or helpline about what is happening to you or someone you know….you could make a huge difference to your or their lives. The affects of bullying can result in people being unable to concentrate on their studies or missing lessons etc and this can have long term affects on their futures.
Bullying is serious….stand up for what is right! How would you feel if you were being bullied? Imagine if your friends started making fun of you, pushing you around, sending you horrible text messages or threatening to hurt you when you were walking home from school. Wouldn't you be frightened? What would you do? Would you hope that someone else would notice what was happening to you and offer to help? What if they didn't? How alone would you feel? Well I hope that this persuades you that it doesn't matter who it is happening to, or whether you even know them very well. If you have even a tiny idea of how it might feel to be treated like this, surely you would want go out of your way help someone else. We all have a part to play in fighting the bullies because at the end of the day, is ignoring someone being bullied any better than the bullying itself? Think about it!
Another important thing to remember is that talking to another adult that you trust is very important. Not only can they help to stop any bullying taking place, but they can also help to make sure that other young people are not at risk. Bullies can cause a lot of damage and over the years we have seen examples where people can end up really hurt and have even died as result of bullying. It is very, serious, not just playground games. So, by getting an adult involved, this helps to keep everyone safer before it gets out of control. Remember, look after yourself, look after each other and don't let the bullies win!
Connexions - Dealing with Bullies
Connexions - Do you know someone who could be being bullied?
Good Luck
Jennie Glitherow
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