So, I'm going to post even MORE information about what you can do if you know that a friend is the target of cyberbullying. Seriously, there's so much you can do! Preventing bullying is awesome.
Give yourself a pat on the back for simply reading this post because it contains some really super-important information about what you can do to prevent cyberbullying.
If you’re a bystander it’s your turn to do something! By doing something you’re turning the situation around. You’re stopping the bully and helping to release the victim from oppression and fear into freedom. And that’s huge!
If you see someone being bullied, get help. If you do nothing you’re not a part of the solution you become a part of the problem. Bullies get away with their nasty deeds time and time again because bystanders do nothing.
If you know the victim and are able to speak to him/ her it may be very helpful to ask him/ her if they have told anyone about the bullying. In a lot of situations the victim has not told anyone. In this situation it is ok for you to say to the victim that you will tell someone. If you do make this promise then it is 100% important that you follow through.
Talk to someone. Speak to a responsible adult about what you’ve seen. You don’t have to deal with this on your own. It is an emotional burden that should compel us to do the right thing. When we reach out for help on behalf of the person being bullied it also releases us emotionally because we know we’ve done the right thing.
If there are more people around you could speak directly to the bully commanding him/ her to stop. By being confident and assertive you may well connect with the bully in a way that disarms him/ her. He/she will not be expecting anyone to speak to him/ her like that. Most, if not all, bullies are sensitive and hurting people deep inside and they respond to clear commands. It’s not the way to go in every situation but trust your instincts. If you feel strong enough to face the bully down then give it a try! Speaking out helps!
You could also consider asking the student being bullied to leave the situation with you. If you have others around you there is strength in numbers and so you could ask the victim to leave with you as a group.
Don’t get involved in a fight. Things can go from bad to worse and people will end up getting hurt and getting into trouble. It’s not worth it.
Never encourage the bully. Don’t laugh or affirm the bully in his/ her behaviour. If you are in any way found to have encouraged the bully or to have played any role in the bullying incident it is highly likely that you will be involved in an official investigation and you may well get into trouble.
If you’ve been a bystander in a bullying incident, make a note of the date of when the bullying event happened, where it happened, and the details. This could be important in the future if the facts need to be established.
If you are worried about what might happen as a result of you reporting the bullying incident, then the next best thing you can do is to report the incident anonymously. You can do this by a note written to a responsible adult. This could be your school teacher, principal, school guidance counselor or the Police, etc.
Remember that the prevention of bullying is everyone’s responsibility and you need to do what you need to do to help anyone being bullied. It is never the right thing to do nothing.
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