School bullies can leave young people feeling helpless and vulnerable. It is common for a bully to threaten a person or to claim that no one will believe them if they resist the bully.
Below are symptoms and signs of mental, physical, and social disorders that may affect young people:
- In times of anxiety and fear, people get panicked for trivial reasons.
- Propensity to take one’s own life
- A reduction in performance and irregularity in school attendance
- Appetite reduction with reduced energy level
Have you been bullied at school? You are never responsible for bullying that happens to you, no matter the cause. Rather than making one feel guilty, bullying and harassment should encourage self-confidence and self-trust.
You should be firm and not hesitate to take action.
Following are a few things you may consider if you are bullied:
Keeping a journal about bullying experiences is a good idea:
Keeping a journal of bullying activities and your experiences will help you to get a better understanding of it. Bullying must be described in detail, including the date, day, time, and names of the individuals involved.
Maintain the integrity of all evidence:
Do not discard any evidence you receive, including threats, comments, or emails you receive, even if they are unsigned or do not contain any names. If you come across a social media message that has bullying elements, make sure you have a screenshot.
Bullying needs to be reported:
A school councillor or class teacher is the best person to talk to if you are not feeling safe at school. Alternatively, you can contact your head teacher or principal.
Defend yourself against the bully:
Ask the person harassing you to stop if you feel comfortable doing so. It is important to remain calm, straight-forward, confident, and modest at all times.
Keep in touch with the people you love:
The best way to deal with bullying is to never hide it. It is likely that your family will be able to provide you with a great deal of support. Be sure to tell your family about your bullying experience. They may be able to offer you the support you need. In addition, you can seek the advice of a therapist. As well as providing you with personal support, they can also help you find solutions to bullying’s effects.
You can access resources through your school’s student support plan to deal with a variety of issues that may affect your mental health and well-being.
Services for suicide prevention:
Suicidal thoughts and depression are often triggered by violence and can affect mental health and overall health. In cases like these, you might want to consider calling a suicide prevention helpline or contacting an organisation that specializes in suicide prevention.
- Call the Lifeline at 13 11 14 for immediate assistance
- The Beyond Blue number is 1300 22 4636
- Please call 1300 659 467 if you need help with suicide
- Call 1800 650 890 for Headspace
What to do if you witness bullying:
Bullying should be reported without fail whenever you witness it. Often people don’t speak up because they are afraid they will be victimised. Nevertheless, ignoring exploitation can harm the school environment.
School’s responsibility
Ensure that your school can help people feel safer if they see bullying happening.
Take the following actions if you encounter or witness bullying or harassment.
Assist the intended victim. Support can include being a witness for the intended victim when they ask the bully to stop bullying them.
Provide alternatives for victims who feel uncomfortable approaching teachers or counsellors.
Your support in reporting bullying enables your school to investigate the incident and take anti-bullying measures if necessary.
Parents of children who are victims of abuse or harassment should consider the following:
It is possible for bullying to have devastating, long-lasting, and sometimes permanent effects on kids. There is a possibility that this will result in mental health disorders. There is a danger that children may suffer from mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, which can negatively affect their school performance and lead to drug abuse. A victim of cyberbullying can be bullied anywhere, at any time, unlike a victim of personal bullying. The internet can be permanently blocked from users of this virus, as it can affect a large audience in a short amount of time.
Student knowledge of bullying and harassment can be improved by providing virtual online training programs, classroom training, and e-learning programs in schools.
Youth Mental Health First Aid Training is delivered across Australia by Sebnem Bulan-Worth. YMHFA training sessions are in our training calendar. Please contact us for more details.
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