39 / 50
What Can You Do to Stay Safe?
37
• Be confident. Bullies often pick on people they think are weak. They want their victims to
cry or scream. And maybe that’s what you feel like doing. Instead, try to stand up straight
and tall. Pretend you’re not scared of the bully. If you can, look him in the eye. If the bully
sees you’re not scared and aren’t going to get upset, he might back down.
• Ignore the bully. Bullies want a reaction when they pick on you. Ignoring the bully and
walking away might frustrate her. Ignoring bullies doesn’t always work, because every
bully is different, but ignoring them is worth trying. Distract yourself if you can’t get away
right then. Count backward from one hundred in your head. Look around and focus on
something interesting going on somewhere else.
• Be proud of yourself. Once a bully tells you you’re worthless, you might start believing you
really are. The bully is wrong. Don’t tell yourself mean things and become your own bully.
Focus on the things you like about yourself, and tell yourself the bully is just trying to be
mean. You are a worthwhile person who can do a lot of things.
When you hear a bully insulting you day in and day out, you might start to believe the things he is saying.
Remember that he’s just trying to hurt you, and those things aren’t true!