The Anti-Bullying Network offers a number of advice points to young people and their parents.
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- If you are being bullied, or if you are worried about someone else who is being bullied,
the most important thing to remember is to talk to someone you trust.
- Read the leaflets called Let's Stop Bullying - Advice for Children and Let's Stop Bullying -
Advice for Young People and the leaflet from ChildLine.
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- Don't hide what is happening front the adults you trust. There is nothing wrong with
asking for help when you are in trouble.
- Don't leave it to others. If young people leave it all to adults, the problem will
never go away. You can help to make your school a better place for everyone.
You can make a difference.
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- Nobody has the right to hurt other people by hitting them, calling then names or doing
anything which is intended to be hurtful. Bullying to wrong whatever the age of the person
who is doing the bullying. If an adult is bullying you or trying to make you do something
you think to wrong you must talk to somebody you trust about this at once. If there is nobody
you trust, phone ChildLine.
- You can help other people who are being bullied. You could encourage them to talk to an
adult, or you could offer to talk to an adult on their behalf. You might be able to let
bullies know that you do not like what they are doing and that you are determined to see
that they stop.
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You can also help by taking part In your school's anti-bullying activities. There are a number of
ways in which teachers and pupils in Scottish schools are dealing with bullying:
- Bully boxes have been set up in some schools. Young people can put notes in these if they
are too worried to speak openly about bullying. If your school has boxes like these use
them sensibly. Always make sure that anything you write about has really happened.
- Be a buddy to a younger pupil. Older pupils can sometimes volunteer to help new pupils
coming into their school by getting to know them and by helping them with any problems.
Special campaigns, such as a "no-bullying day" can help.
- Some schools have student or pupil councils. You can ask the council to discuss bullying,
even if you are not a member.
- Counselling is a special way of talking to someone. People who are being bullied,or who are
bullying others, can be helped by counselling, but only if the counsellor (usually an adult)
has had training.
- Some schools have set up peer counselling schemes where young people volunteer to learn how
to help other young people.
- Mediation - some schools have introduced schemes where two people who disagree about something
agree that a third person, who may be either an adult or another young person, helps to flnd
a solution to a problem. This is helpful in many situations, but not in all cases of bullying.
A bully may refuse to take part because he or she has no interest in ending the bullying. A
victim may feel that a negotiated solution is not fair when it is the other person who is
entirely in the wrong.
Taking part in plays and other drama activities can help people to understand what it feels
like to be bullied and to think about what they can do to stop it.
- Peer Support is an idea, developed in Australia, in which older students volunteer to discuss
things like bullying or drugs with groups of younger pupils.
Use the links below to get more information or help.
