Before you can do anything to help in a bullying situation, first you have to notice it. Unfortunately, we often fail to notice events that are happening around us. There are many reasons why we might not notice a bad situation happening…
The sights and sounds of everyday life can draw our attention in. When we are paying attention only to our surroundings, we can miss important cues.
Sometimes, however, it’s not the outside world that distracts us. Sometimes we are so focused on ourselves—what we are doing, feeling, and thinking—that we fail to notice things happening right around us.
It is important to stay alert and to pay attention to our surroundings, particularly in places where bullying is more likely to occur. The next time you’re in the hallway, at lunch, at a school activity, or anywhere else there’s a lot of people but few adults, try to pay a little more attention. These situations are exactly when bullies like to bully. If you are aware, you have a better chance of noticing someone needing help.
It’s also important to notice signs of bullying when you’re online. Cyberbullying involves name calling, threats, or gossip that are sent via text message or posted on social networking sites. Texting or posting secrets or embarrassing or intimate photos of another person is also a form of bullying.
If you see any of these things going on, stop and take a minute to reflect – Is this bullying?
Check out Identify the Situation as one Needing Intervention next.
