Many people think that bullying is simply about hurting someone, but it's not as simple as that. There are many different ways that people bully.
Bullying behaviours include:
Bullying has lots of different effects. It can make you feel angry, frightened and upset, as well as knock your confidence and self-esteem. Some people get so worried about it that they find it hard to concentrate on their work. All these feelings can put you at risk of stress, anxiety and depression.
There are lots of reasons why people bully. There is no ‘typical’ bully, anyone can become one. Bullies may have experienced bullying or other negative behaviours towards themselves.
Experts believe that people bully either to feel powerful over someone else or to feel close with their group by picking on someone different. Sometimes people in a group who are bullying do it so they are not bullied themselves.
Sometimes bullies do not recognise the seriousness of what they are doing and view it as a bit of fun. Some bullies are insecure about their own abilities and may even be envious of what others are achieving.
Find someone who won’t judge you to talk about why you think you are bullying and how it makes you feel. Try and work out why you are bullying, maybe you feel insecure about yourself or maybe someone else has bullied you.
Learning anger management techniques can help if you are the sort of person who gets irritated and angry easily.
Try making new friends as a kind of ‘fresh start’ by getting a job or joining a club.
Beat Bullying has lots of useful information on their website.
Breathing Space can offer support on their free helpline if you find bullying is getting you down. Call 0800 83 85 87, 6pm - 2am daily.
Published on 06/07/2010
Last modified on 26/09/2011
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