Seven Tips If You’re Being Bullied
Emma Myers recently joined us on The Squeeze and opened up about being bullied in the past and how she had to set boundaries following her success on the show “Wednesday”. If you or someone you know is in a similar situation, here are some tips to handle bullies.
Remove yourself from the situation
If at all possible, try to walk away and remove yourself from the situation immediately.
Breathe and observe
Breathe, take a moment to look around, and observe who and what is going on around you. Ask yourself what you want the bully to stop doing and what you want them to do instead. This will help remind yourself that your feelings are justified and no one has the right to take your feelings away from you.
Ask them to stop
Only if you feel safe to do so, ask the bully to stop in a firm but calm manner. For example: “I know you can say what you want, but I want you to stop.”
Walk away
If you can, walk towards safety instead of walking away from the bully. For example, walk towards a classroom where you can see the teacher you trust or walk toward a group of friends.
Stay collected
Try to stay calm and keep your emotions in control. Fighting back or responding in a similar manner can continue the cycle and make the problem much bigger and more out of control
Tell someone
Never keep bullying a secret. Reach out to a friend or someone you trust to help support you and decide what to do next. You should also report it to an adult who can address the problem. Remember if the person you tell does not make any effort to resolve the problem, tell another adult immediately.
For cyberbullying…
Oftentimes bullying happens online as well. If this is the case, save the evidence by taking screenshots, do not respond as this will only escalate the situation, tell an adult, and block the user.
We hope these tips can help you! Be sure to listen to Emma’s episode on The Squeeze on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
