Do You Bully?
Think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who pushes everyone around? Could be, but it can also be the cheerleader, the student council member, or the quiet kid. A lot of times, people think that appearance defines someone who bullies, but you can’t tell who bullies just by looking at them. Students who bully can be any size, age, gender or grade.
Then what does define someone who bullies?
The answer: It’s his or her BEHAVIOR. It’s bullying when someone uses words or action to hurt or harm someone else and that person has a hard time defending himself or herself.
Sometimes kids who bully might think that it’s cool, fun or just “no big deal,” but think about it — what is cool or fun about hurting someone? Name calling, tripping someone, laughing at the person, leaving the person out, ignoring him or her on purpose—how can hurting someone possibly be “no big deal”?
If kids think about why they are bullying, they can then deal with those reasons and change their behavior. You want cool? Now that’s cool .