Oh, the jo

ys of those w

ho do not

follo

w the advic

e of the w

icked,

or stand around w

ith sin

ners,

or jo

in in

w

ith m

ockers.

But they delig

ht in

the la

w of the Lord,

m

editatin

g on it day and nig

ht.

They are lik

e trees pla

nted alo

ng the riv

erbank,

bearin

g fruit each season.

Their le

aves never w

ither,

and they prosper in

all

they do.

PSA

LM

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1Thrive Foundation for Youth • www.stepitup2thrive.orgCreative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 U.S. LicenseLast Updated: 3/22/11

Step-It-Up-2-Thrive

Tips for Situations of

BULLYINGWhat Can You Do?If you are a target of bullying, a bully or a witness, here are some tips for you. Target: Don’t show a reaction!

Don’t show a reaction or do the unexpected (yawn, laugh, walk away)A bully looks for weakness and is counting on getting you to get upset. You can protect yourself by not giving the bully what he/she wants! Even if you feel scared or upset, don’t show it. Crying, showing fear, or acting mad encourages the bully to pick on you again. Keep your voice calm and steady. Look the bully straight in the eye while you strongly and loudly say: “Leave me alone.”

Show confidence & value differencesA bully looks for differences and lack of confidence. You look around you and know everyone has differences. So, show that respect of yourself that comes from within. If a bully makes fun of your accent, just smile and agree. “Yes, I do have an accent.” “Yes, I do stutter.” Then walk away and look confident even if you don’t feel it.

Stay in sightTry to hang out with other teens or join a club that can become your group. Stay away from isolated places and in sight of adults. Tell adults you can trust. This situation is about someone trying to have power over you. Use your adult power to even the odds. Don’t try to get even with someone who bullies you. This is a major mistake! When you fight back, there is a good chance that bullying will continue and even become worse. Also, adults may then see you as part of the problem.

Witness: Try 10 seconds of persuasion!

Heroes and heroines don’t need super powers. Over 60% of incidents go away in 10 seconds or less if a witness intervenes in a nonviolent way. It might not be safe to jump into the situation at the moment, but you can still help the person being bullied.

Convince others to stand up against the bullying.

As soon as you start to use an “I” message and express your discomfort with what is happening, others will almost always follow you.

If its feels dangerous, make an effort behind the scenes to support the victim or find power to change the situation. Telling someone with power to intervene, usually an adult, is taking a tough stand for your values.

Bully: Find an adult and start talking! You’re not alone and it’s not too late to change. Adults can help you deal with your need for power and your reasons of anger, fear and pain.

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