Stand Up for Yourself & Your Friends. Patti Kelley Criswell

Does a Bully

      Look Like?

      Bullies aren’t all rough-and-tough looking. They can be girls or boys, kids or

      adults. Anyone can bully—even you. In fact, at one time or another, many of

      us will bully someone else. But whether we’re teasing a sibling or purposely

      leaving out a friend, it’s not OK. Here are some examples of bullying . . .

      Gossiping or

      spreading rumors:

      “Psst, did you

      hear about . . . ?”

      Telling secrets:

      “ Don’t tell her I

      told you, but . . .”

      Name-calling:

      “She’s such a loser.”

      Embarrassing

      someone:

      “Hey, everyone,

      watch this.”

      Pushing and

      shoving:

      “Move!”

      Excluding

      someone on

      purpose:

      “You can’t be

      in our club.”

      Teasing or putting

      someone down:

      “I can’t believe you

      don’t know that!”

      Scaring someone:

      “You’d better do

      what I say.”

      Spot the Difference

      The best way to tell if you’re being bullied is simply by noticing how it feels.

      Bullying is done on purpose. It’s usually done repeatedly, like a pattern. And it’s

      meant to be hurtful. Being bullied feels bad.

      Hey, would you

      mind? I was

      sitting there.

       Hey, would you

      MIND???

      I was sitting there!

      One says, “Sorry to bother you.”

      The other says, “Move it!”

      Nice shirt!

      Nice shirt!

      One is complimenting the shirt.

      The other is making fun of it.

      Bullying isn’t always about the words you use. It’s how you

      say them that can cause a person to feel bullied. Think about

      where your words are coming from and how your attitude

      might affect someone else. Watch your body language and

      tone of voice. Before you speak, use your head—and your heart.

      Why People Bully

      Why on earth would someone want to hurt someone else?

      Good question. Maybe she . . .

      is lonely.

      is confusing

      being a leader

      with being a

      bully.

      is getting bullied

      at home, in her

      neighborhood, or

      somewhere else.

      needs more

      attention.

      is used to bullying

      others at home or

      elsewhere.

      isn’t very

      confident.

      has problems

      she doesn’t

      know how to fix.

      is jealous of

      other people’s

      happiness.

      is angry.

      is trying

      to fit in.

      is sad.

      doesn’t

      realize

      that being

      hurtful is

      wrong.

      Any of these could be the reason a girl

      chooses to bully others. Most often, a bully

      doesn’t feel good about herself deep down.