What Can I Do About What Can I Do About Teasing?Teasing?

What is Teasing?What is Teasing?

Words or actions that cause others to Words or actions that cause others to doubt their worth doubt their worth – Put downsPut downs– Pointing out differencesPointing out differences– Calling someone namesCalling someone names

From: “But I Was Only Joking” by Eric Henry at

www.responsiveclassroom.org

Teasing: Teasing: Is it Is it Friendly?Friendly? Or Or Unfriendly?Unfriendly?

Laughing with you Laughing with you not at younot at you

People that are People that are good friendsgood friends

People that can People that can accept teasing accept teasing from youfrom you

Respect you if you Respect you if you ask them to stopask them to stop

Laughing at you or Laughing at you or at something you at something you said or didsaid or did

People that you People that you don’t know very don’t know very wellwell

Keep it up even if it Keep it up even if it makes you feel badmakes you feel bad

How do I know if it’s How do I know if it’s really unfriendly really unfriendly

teasing?teasing?

How do I know if it’s How do I know if it’s really unfriendly really unfriendly

teasing?teasing?

““I’m still not sure if it’s I’m still not sure if it’s friendly or not”friendly or not”

Talk it out with an adult or Talk it out with an adult or friend that you really trustfriend that you really trust

Responding to Teasing: Responding to Teasing: Friendly?Friendly? Or Or Unfriendly?Unfriendly?

Smile – It’s a Smile – It’s a jokejoke

Shrug it offShrug it off Joke backJoke back

Stay calmStay calm Tell an adult if it Tell an adult if it

is threatening or is threatening or repeated oftenrepeated often

Decide: Ignore Decide: Ignore or Respond? or Respond?

Decide: Decide: IgnoreIgnore or or Respond???Respond???

If you decide to If you decide to ignoreignore::– Walk awayWalk away– Look awayLook away– Join a group of friendsJoin a group of friends– Talk to someone elseTalk to someone else

Decide: Decide: Ignore or Ignore or RespondRespond??

If you decide to If you decide to respondrespond - Be - Be AssertiveAssertive– Hold your head up Hold your head up

highhigh– Look at the other Look at the other

personperson

Responding Responding to Unfriendly to Unfriendly

TeasingTeasing

Use humor Use humor Give a neutral Give a neutral

response response

That was a good one –

HA HA!

Funny – Can I use that line?

WHATEVER!

So? more

Responding Responding to Unfriendly to Unfriendly

TeasingTeasingTell them to Tell them to

STOP in a firm, STOP in a firm, calm voicecalm voice

Use Use mildmild sarcasm sarcasm

Real mature! Like I

would care

Give me a break

Cut it out!

Go away and stop bothering

me!

After You Respond:After You Respond:

Walk awayWalk away Look awayLook away Join a group of friendsJoin a group of friends Talk to someone elseTalk to someone else

One Easy SolutionOne Easy Solution

If you are being teased in the If you are being teased in the same situation each day, ask a same situation each day, ask a friend or a teacher to walk or sit friend or a teacher to walk or sit

with you for a few days.with you for a few days.

““But, sometimes it really But, sometimes it really makes me feel bad and I makes me feel bad and I

can’t stop thinking about it.”can’t stop thinking about it.”

Think to yourself

“the opinions of this one person are not important”

Let it Bounce off – think about the words bouncing right off of you

GET HELP – Tell your parents, teacher or other adult – talk it

out!

““How do I know when I How do I know when I need to get help from need to get help from

an adult?”an adult?” When you are being teased many When you are being teased many

times each daytimes each day When you have been threatened in When you have been threatened in

any wayany way When you are feeling very bad about When you are feeling very bad about

yourselfyourself When you just don’t know what else When you just don’t know what else

to doto do

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri

Good StuffNegative Stuff

Don’t Forget the Good StuffDon’t Forget the Good Stuff

So, what do you think?So, what do you think?

What should

you do if you see

someone else being

teased?www.wikipedia.org

Responding to TeasingResponding to Teasing Decide if it’s friendly Decide if it’s friendly

or unfriendlyor unfriendly Decide whether you Decide whether you

want to ignore it or want to ignore it or respondrespond

Respond assertivelyRespond assertively Get help when you Get help when you

need itneed it Don’t forget the Don’t forget the

good stuff!good stuff!

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