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Bye-bye, Bully!
A Kid's Guide for Dealing with Bullies
By J. S. Jackson, R. W. Alley Abbey Press
Copyright © 2003 J. S. Jackson
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4976-8299-3
CHAPTER 1
What Is Bullying?
If someone teases you, hurts you, or is just plain mean to you—day after day, week after week—that is called "bullying."
Bullying is different from the little bumps, pushes, or arguments kids sometimes get into. Bullying is not an accident. It is hurting another person, on purpose, over and over again.
Is there someone on your school bus or the playground who is often just mean to other kids—punching, hitting, or kicking them? Is there someone in your classroom who is always making fun of another kid? That is how bullies act.
You Are Not Alone
Almost everybody is bullied at some time in his life ... by a brother or sister, a neighborhood kid, or a classmate.
If someone bullies you, it can make you feel scared, helpless, and alone. But there are things kids can do to stop bullying.
Remember: No one deserves to be bullied. By learning more about bullying, you will be better able to handle this problem if it happens to you.
What Do Bullies Look Like?
Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. You can tell bullies more by how they act than by how they look.
Bullies are often loud, selfish, and pushy. They need to do things and get things that make them feel powerful. They will use and hurt other people to get what they want.
Kids who are bullies try to make themselves feel good by making others feel bad. The funny thing is, they do this because, deep down, they feel bad themselves. If they can push around other kids, it makes them feel more powerful.
Who Do Bullies Bother?
Bullies look for people they think are weaker or scared of them. They often pick on people who are small, shy, or different.
Are you "different" in any way? Do you wear glasses? Do you have red hair? Are you kind of thin or chubby? Are you tall or short for your age? Do you speak with an accent?
God gave you a special look and personality to make you the great, one-of-a-kind person you are! "Different" doesn't mean better or worse—it just means different. Be proud and happy—you are exactly the way God meant you to be!
How Bullies Hurt Others
A bully might corner a kid in the back of the school bus and punch him or twist his arm. Or push someone down on the playground. Or pull a girl's hair in the bathroom.
Bullies also hurt kids' feelings, by teasing or calling them names. A bully might call a boy with large ears "Dumbo," or a girl with red hair "Carrot Top." This kind of teasing can be just as hurtful as the hitting kind.
Sometimes a bully might whisper about you, laugh at you, and make you feel as if no one likes you. It hurts your feelings to be left out, not part of any group.
What Bullies Want
Bullies like the feeling of power they get from making other people feel bad. Here are some examples of what bullies do, and what they want you to do. If you want to stop a bully, try not to act the way the bully wants you to!
What a Bully Wants You to Do
hit, push, or knock you down
call you names:
"Hey, Four Eyes!"
"Hi there, Fatty!"
talk behind your back
What a Bully Does
cry, run away
cry, feel sad and ashamed
cry, feel bad and alone
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Bye-bye, Bully! by J. S. Jackson, R. W. Alley. Copyright © 2003 J. S. Jackson. Excerpted by permission of Abbey Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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