No Bull(ying)

Bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence are all abuses of power.

Also have a look at the section in Healthy Living on No to Homophobia for more info

Bullying and harassment occur when people use and abuse power to trouble, annoy or oppress a person.

Up to 20 per cent of students in Australian schools have experienced bullying or harassment. The real figure may be even higher, because many problems are not reported.

Whether we're younger, older, an adult, a friend, we can all be bullied or use our power to bully and harass others. Bullying and harassment can…

• be physical (hitting, kicking, pinching), verbal (name-calling, teasing), psychological (stand-over tactics, gestures), social (social exclusion, rumours, putdowns) or sexual (physical, verbal or non-verbal sexual conduct)
• be motivated by jealousy, distrust, fear, misunderstanding or lack of knowledge
• make people feel threatened
• continue over time
• be hidden from adults
• continue, even if adults and peers take no action.

"To be bullied and harassed is not a good feeling, especially when you wake up in the morning and dread going to school because of the fear of being picked on." ...Year 9 student

I really like what best-selling author Nick Earls has to say about bullying.

“Nick believes we can take control of our own lives by making some friends who will treat us well, by vigorously pursuing the things we really want, by having some practical life plans as well as dreams and by setting out to make a contribution and giving something back.”

Read more from Nick

Here’s a few things that you can do if you are having to deal with bullies…

There are no simple, quick fix answers to bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence. But here are some ideas that have helped others and may help you.

• Find someone to talk to.
• Tell a trusted friend, teacher or carer. They may be able to support you in your decisions or even mediate between you and the person who is doing the bullying. Best of all, they will listen to how you feel.
• Talk to yourself.
• No, you're not going mad! Your mind is your own private space to think through and talk about what has happened and how you feel. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help too.
• Stay positive.

Bullying usually makes us feel small and powerless so it can be difficult to feel positive. Focus upon all the things that you do well.

• Be confident & Act Brave
• Use strong, assertive 'I' statements. When you think people are misusing power, tell them 'I don't like that,' in a strong confident voice. Hold your head high and feel strong. Practice this with your friends.
• Use conflict resolution skills.
• Talk with the person who is harassing or bullying you. Ask them if there is a problem that you might be able to sort out together.
• Where possible, ignore people who bully or harass.
• You don't have to respond. You can walk away from people who are harassing you. This does not always work, particularly if it is persistent bullying or violence that needs to be reported. You may need to continue ignoring the behaviour for a while.
• Hang around with your friends.
• Be with people who help you feel good about yourself. Good friends respect, encourage and support you. They care for your wellbeing and are fun to be around. And you'll make new friends by respecting, encouraging and supporting others.
• Stick up for your friends.
• If you have a friend who is being bullied, stick up for them, listen to them talk about how it feels, let them know you care… and give them this information. Also try standing up for others you don't know so well.
• Doing nothing means you’re part of the problem!