Playground Safety: Bully Advise For Kids

HOW A BULLY BECOMES A BULLY:

• He is angry. Someone might have bullied him in the past.
• He has a low self-esteem. He thinks controlling you will help him feel better about himself.
• He might have been exposed to a lot of violence in the media. (TV, books...) A lot of movies make violence look cool. But if you look closer, the "good guy" is always cooler!
• His caretakers might have lacked in supervision. They might have been too busy to teach him how wrong it is to hurt others. Or maybe they spoiled him, making him think he can do anything he wants, including bullying!

WHAT TO DO ABOUT BULLIES:

• Inform your teachers & parents. If his bullying is physical or violent, tell them not to give your name. That could make the bully more angry, and then he'll come after you harder.
• Travel to school or social events in groups. Don't walk alone.
• Avoid the bully at all costs.
• Ignore him. That will take away his power he "thinks" he has over you. He'll get bored, and go look for someone else to pick on.
• Confront him with the problem. Do this only if the bullying is mental, not physical. Maybe you can explain how it makes you feel. If he doesn't care, and continues to bully you, report him, and avoid him.
• Take a safety training workshop. This should only be used as a last resort (in self defense). Using this to show off for your friends, or simply because someone made you angry, could lead to law suits, and YOU becoming a bully!