Who bullies and why do they deliberately do something that hurts someone else?
A person who bullies is someone who hurts another person on purpose.
A person who bullies has a strong need to hurt others so he or she can get power, fame or popularity.
Anyone can act like a bully, including a girl, boy, stranger, friend, a brother or sister, a young person or an adult.
A person who bullies does not think before he or she acts.
A person who bullies wants to seem popular, tough or strong and often they are popular because so many people are secretly afraid of them.
Young people who bully are often being bullied by parents, older brothers and sisters, or others
People who bully think their victims deserve to be bullied, but they are wrong.
No one deserves to be bullied and it takes a group effort to stop them.
Young people who bully are more likely than those who don’t bully to skip school and drop out of school. They are also more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and get into fights.
If people who bully don’t get help, they could have serious problems later in life.
Have You Ever Bullied Someone?
Okay it’s time for the truth. Take this quiz to find out if you’ve ever bullied someone. No one is going to see this but you. For every statement, say “yes” or “no.”
1. Yes or No. You called someone names
2. Yes or No. You spread rumors about someone.
3. Yes or No. You made up stories to get someone into trouble
4. Yes or No. You took someone’s friends away leaving them on their own
5. Yes or No. You told other people not to be friends with someone.
6. Yes or No. You hit someone, kicked them, tripped them up or pushed them.
7. Yes or No. You made remarks about someone’s culture, religion or skin color
8. Yes or No. You made remarks about someone’s looks or weight
9. Yes or No. You made remarks about their disability or medical condition
10. Yes or No. You don’t choose someone to be your partner in class
11. Yes or No. You leave someone out when you’re choosing a games team
12. Yes or No. You take away someone’s things or demand money from them
13. Yes or No. You damage their property
14. Yes or No. You hide their books or bag
15. Yes or No. You make jokes about them when you can see they’re upset
16. Yes or No. You send them nasty text messages or make mean phone calls.
17. Yes or No. You push and hit someone when you know they are not enjoying it
18. Yes or No. You made threats about bad things that will happen to them
19. Yes or No. You’re going along with the crowd who are doing any of these things
20. Yes or No. You make remarks about someone’s body, about being “gay” or liking other boys or other girls. If you said yes to any of the questions, then you have acted like a bully at least once in your life.
A lot of students in schools across the United States have asked for help because they’ve been bullied. Many of them are too frightened to go to school and some have been removed from school by their parents. Some kids develop eating disorders because they have been called names when they are perfectly normal. Others are receiving psychiatric and psychological help. Some kids even say they are suicidal now or have been in the past. Bullying is wrong.
