Fact Sheet: Bullying

If you are bullying someone and want to stop but don’t know how, please speak to someone about it. You can ask to see your school counsellor and you can also arrange to speak to one of Youthline’s counsellors. Counselling can help support you if you are experiencing bullying.

Emotional Support: Counselling offers a safe space for you to express yourself freely and talk about your emotions related to the bullying experience. A counsellor can provide a safe supported space to help you work through your feelings.
Building Resilience: Through counselling, you can develop resilience and coping mechanisms to better deal with the challenges posed by bullying. This involves empowering you with strategies to manage stress, build self-esteem, and develop a positive self-image.
Identification of Support Systems: Counselling will help you to identify support systems, such as friends, family, or teachers, who can play an important role in helping you overcome bullying.
Self-Discovery and Empowerment: Through counselling, you will become more aware of your strengths, giving you a sense of empowerment to assert yourself confidently and develop a stronger sense of who you are.
Communication Skills: Good communication is key in addressing bullying situations. Counsellors can work on how to express your feelings safely.

What can I do if I am the bully?

Being bullied can make you feel very lonely and you might think you don’t have any friends but they are out there. You’re likely to find someone who is going through the same as you who has to spend break/lunch on their own. Keep your eyes open. If you see someone else on their try to start a conversation, about anything. You might try asking them what they did at the weekend and if they saw a particular TV programme, do they have any pets, brothers or sisters etc.

Try to make other friends

It is really important to help yourself keep safe. Don’t think that you are on your own. There are people at school you can trust like a favourite teacher or school counsellor or friend. You could also join clubs or ask teachers if they need help with their classrooms or friends you could ask to stay near you at lunch/break.

Try to stay with others in a safe area

Bullies want to see a reaction. If you don’t give them one, they will get bored and eventually give up.

Concentrate on using your face and body to make it seem as if you are not bothered by what they are saying. How would you look ‘not bothered’?

Concentrate on your movement to make yourself look confident as you walk i.e. straight back, shoulders back, big steps away. How would you move if you were confident?

Concentrate on using a calm voice to either a) use assertive language ‘Please don’t speak to me like that’ and keep repeating it if they continue. b) use fogging ‘That’s your opinion’ or ‘whatever’ and keep repeating it if they continue. How would your voice sound if you were calm?

Practice keeping calm

It can make you feel more scared, more alone and more helpless.

Let someone know what is happening.

If you cannot tell someone, try writing it in a note or a text to someone you trust. A problem shared is a problem halved. Counselling is very useful to explore your thoughts.

Bottling up what is happening is not healthy

Calling you names
Spreading lies about you
Teasing you
Hitting or kicking you and causing you physical pain
Pushing or pulling you about
Taking your money or possessions
Leaving you out or excluding you
Threatening or intimidating you
Texting you horrible messages
Filming you on their mobile phones and spreading it about
Sending you horrible emails or messages on Facebook and other social networking websites

Being bullied at school, home or online might involve:

A significant proportion, up to 70%, of young individuals have encountered various forms of bullying, with an alarming statistic revealing that one million young people face bullying weekly, both within and beyond the school environment, as reported by Young Minds.

Bullying is characterised by repetitive actions carried out with the intent to cause emotional or physical harm. Whether acting individually or as part of a group, bullies target individuals and treat them in a negative or derogatory way. The occurrence of bullying can be sporadic, taking place over short periods and random occasions, or it can be prolonged and sustained spanning weeks, months, or even years.