You Are Not Alone
If you are being bullied, it’s really important that you tell someone… we know, easier said than done right!? But whoever said that telling the teacher or your parents is ‘snitching’, is talking nonsense. Don’t listen to them.
According to research collected in the 2017 Annual Bullying Survey, 37% of those surveyed, never told anyone about the bullying.
Too many people suffer in silence. The single most proactive thing you can do to protect yourself is report the bullying – true story. The best way to be taken seriously is to speak directly. Be concise and clear about what’s happened and how you want it to be dealt with.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered – here are some things you should know about how to report bullying whether it’s at school, work or anywhere else:
Start by telling a mate…
So, the first step is to tell a mate what’s been happening. Whether it’s a schoolmate, a friendly co-worker or someone you know from somewhere else, when you share your problems they instantly become less scary. You don’t have to expect your mate to do anything about it, but at least they are there to lend an ear or a shoulder if needs be.
Next up is a big one but DW, we’ll walk you through it…
Parents
Having that conversation is a tough one but it needs to happen. In telling your parents, you are taking positive steps to getting things resolved. At this point, you have to trust your parents to take action in a responsible and tactful way. When telling parents or school, always have examples ready by keeping a log of related events that have taken place. Once you have in your head what you want to say, pick a time and a place that suits you best and you’re good to go.
It’s likely that your parents will then talk to the school about it. You can help them in doing this in the right way by asking them to stay calm, keep you included and by following the procedures of the school – this makes things easier for everyone.
School
If speaking to your parents is not an option, which for many people it isn’t, you can speak to your school. The school probably have the most power in a bullying situation to help make it stop. Start by speaking to your favorite teacher, or the one who you find most approachable. Explain what’s been happening with specific examples of events that have taken place, and how they have made you feel. Next, explain the effects it has had on you and what you want to happen next. Be as clear as you can, and come armed with examples.
One of the best things about school that many people don’t realise is that you have access to a whole bunch of free services such as counselling, pastoral care and trained mentors who are on hand to help you with these exact situations.
Here are just a few examples of who you can approach within most schools:
- Your form tutor or equivalent
- Your head of year/house
- The Headteacher
- The School Nurse
- The School Inclusion Officer
- Any member of support staff
- PSHE teachers are often really good to talk to if you’re being discriminated against
- Head students and the Senior Student Team within the school often have involvement in anti-bullying initiatives
- The Student Body – if there is one in your school.
- Your favourite or most trusted teacher – it’s good to speak to teachers that you already have a good relationship with. For example, a teacher who has helped you in the past or whose lessons you really enjoy.
Tell Ditch the Label
We’re not just saying this because we are Ditch the Label, but talking to us is as easy as can be. Did you know that you can speak to an actual person from Ditch the Label about your problems? All you have to do is sign up to community, create a username (doesn’t have to be your real name) which gives you the option of anonymity if you want it, and post your problem in community.
Thousands of people benefit from our help every week and it also really makes a difference talking things out with other people who have had similar issues in the past. Try it, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to write your problems down, knowing that you can say what you want. There will be no judgement, only positivity and real life, practical advice.
You can also report cyberbullying to us through our reporting tool – we’ll try and get the content removed within 48 hours.
The Police
This can be an uncomfortable one but if there is a crime involved, make sure you contact the police.
It doesn’t have to be you who reports it, you can tell an adult who will report it for you, but it is very important that you do. By reporting a crime, you are helping to prevent it from happening to someone else, as well as protecting yourself. If it is a hate crime, it is very important that you report it – for more info on hate crime, read this.
