Lizzy Greene's advice for anyone being bullied

Just 14 years old, Kid’s Choice Award nominated actress Lizzy Greene has already made a pretty impressive name for herself. Starring in Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn she was just 11 years old when she landed the role of Dawn Harper, the sole female lead of the show. Telling the story of quadruplets navigating life as pre-teens, Lizzy plays the only sister amongst them, all whilst balancing her own life as teen!

Whilst it may seem as though she lives the life of a star, you might be surprised to find out that she’s your everyday teenage girl too! Just like you she has school worries, fear of not fitting in with classmates and is anxious about the future that lies ahead. But luckily, she has some pretty powerful advice about how to handle all of that.

Here’s Lizzy with words of wisdom that we can all learn from:

DTL: Hey Lizzy! Thanks for chatting with us. To start, would you mind telling us about your own experiences with bullying?
Lizzy: I was bullied for being different and being myself. I was never bothered by what people thought of me. I kept going and doing all the things I believed in.

DTL: Thank you for sharing. Talking about this topic isn’t easy at all! Why is it so important for you to share this story with others?
Lizzy: To show others that bullying happens to everyone. Just because I am on a TV show doesn’t mean I haven’t experienced it in my life. Society pressures people to “fall in” with the pack but I believed I could be myself and rise on my own.

I believed in myself.

DTL: In the past, you have spoken about how you helped others in the school playground who were being bullied. Can you talk us through why you felt this was an important thing to do?
Lizzy: It had nothing to do with me. Someone needed help and I felt someone has to stand up for what was right. My school had lots of bullying and I knew even if I stood up to only 1 of them it would make a difference.

DTL: Here at Ditch the Label, we believe that there is no such thing as a ‘bully’ or a ‘victim’. Not only do we help those that have been bullied, but those doing the bullying too. How does this message resonate with you and your past experiences?
Lizzy: I agree with your statement 100%. People that bully others are sad, troubled and hurting. They feel the need to take it out on others. Everyone on the planet earth is working on something or hurting about something.

We have to find a way to sort it all out and help people that cannot help themselves.

DTL: You talk about remaining positive and not letting being bullied define you. Do you have any tips on how to stay positive even when it feels really difficult to do so?
Lizzy: Something inside of me made me rise up to those that tried to drag me down. Those that try to put you down envy your creativity and happiness so they feel the need to tear you down to make themselves feel better. If you understand that fact you can deal with them in a way that you do not give away your own power.

DTL: Much of the bullying that takes place today occurs on the internet. What advice would you offer to those who face negativity online?
Lizzy: I have experienced cyberbullying from people that don’t even know me daily. And I have experienced it from people that I do know. People use the fact that they are hidden behind a screen to be mean to others. If they were standing in front of you they would be less likely to be mean. Do what I do and block and unfollow the people that are not being nice to you.

Understand that it is not your responsibility to set them straight.

Stay in your own lane my mom always says. They are unhappy about something and they are taking it out on you and that is not your responsibility to fix. Block the mean people.

DTL: Working with charities is something that you have expressed as being really important to you. What made you want to be an ambassador for Ditch the Label?
Lizzy: I want to use the platform that I have to show others how important it is to be kind to other people.