ADVICE FOR STUDENTS: WHAT TO DO

If you are being bullied the best thing to do is TELL SOMEONE!!
The biggest mistake is keeping it bottled up and not telling anyone, then it gets on top of you and you feel as though you cant get out. If you dont tell anyone it will destroy you.
You need to tell someone you trust, this could be your parents, family, friends and a teacher.
It can be difficult to get the confidence up to tell someone, you may feel embarrassed or as though it is your fault. If you do find it difficult telling someone you could write a note or a letter explaining the situation and how you feel.
Then you could give this letter or note to a relative and ask them to explain it to your parents or a teacher.

In school you need to tell your form or year tutor, you could do this in such a way that the bully doesnt get suspicious. You could go and see your tutor at break or after school, or you could write a note and put it in your homework book if you are afraid to tell them in person.
If you don’t want to tell your tutor, you could go and see:

• Another teacher you trust
• The school nurse
• School youth/social worker
• Peer mentors or an older student you know

A good idea is if the teacher you tell can catch the bullies red-handed, that way your story is more believable and the teacher has more proof to punish the bullies.
A lot of victims of bullying are often too afraid to tell a teacher, as they fear the consequences. Some children are too embarrassed or scared that they are ‘grassing’
Schools can often stop the bullying in such a way that the bully won’t find out who told.
Its best to have it in the open, as it is a huge weight off your mind. The longer you leave it the harder it will get.  

Victims feel most vulnerable at breaks or lunchtimes, you should stay in safe areas of the school where there are a lot of students. If you know of any rooms where a teacher stays at dinner you could always ask them if you could stay in there and do some work.

If you are physically hurt at school by a bully you should ask a teacher to write it down or put it in an accident report book. This way if you decide to confront the bully with a teacher you have written evidence to prove things.

You could consider taking up karate or a form of martial arts. This will help you a lot with your confidence, and you will be able to protect yourself if you need to. Violence isnt the answer to bullying though, you shouldn’t initiate a fight with the bully, and avoid violence where possible.
If you do fight back this could make the situation worse, and you may even get blamed for starting the fight.

When a bully is insulting you, you should try not to show them that you are upset. Bullies enjoy getting a reaction from you. This way they might get bored and leave you alone.
You could always reply to insults with funny or clever remarks. This way the bully may feel threatened and feel as though you are too smart or witty to pick on.

It’s always a good idea to keep a diary this way you can write down any situations where you were bullied, and have evidence to show your tutor. You can also write down your feelings and thoughts, this way you can express yourself without having to talk to people if you’re not confident.