How to Stop People From Making Fun of You

We have all seen someone make fun of someone else. But, what makes that person make fun of someone else? What can you do when a bully makes fun of you? These are not easy questions to answer, but there are specific strategies that will help to stop a bully and help to keep you from being their target. You will be able to stop a bully from making fun of you.

Instructions

1. Understand "why" people make fun of someone else.
   They get attention, they gain control, and they perceive themself as better or stronger. They are a bully. As long as they keep getting those things they will be reinforced to keep making fun of you. They will continue to try to bully you.

2. Take away their reinforcement by ignoring them.
   Often the person who is a bully and makes fun of others, is being reinforced every time they do it. When you completely ignore them, you take away that attention and you do not give them the control over you and your emotions that they want. Completely ignoring a bully, though, means no eye contact. It also means that you do not verbally respond back. Ignoring the bully will help to stop them from making fun of you. It will help to stop you from being the victim of a bully.

3. Be confident.
   Understand what helps to make someone a target of someone who is a bully. Often the person who is a bully will target people whom they perceive to be weaker. They are much more likely to target a person who is less confident. To show your confidence, stand up straight and hold your head high. Make good direct eye contact. Make sure your voice can be heard clearly. Never act timid or shy or worried around that person. Your confidence will help to stop people from making fun of you. It will keep you from being the target of a bully.

4. Do not listen to them or take what they say personally.
   It is really hard to not take what a bully says personally when they make fun of you. However, the bully only intends what they say to make someone else feel bad. Whether it is the truth or not has absolutely no factor in what they are saying. It may be true, but that is not why they are saying it. Therefore, if a bully is making fun of you, never let them see you sweat. Never, let them know it bothers you. Believe in yourself. Use self-talk to reinforce your own confidence and feelings by telling yourself what you know to be true and good about yourself. Send the signal that you are not someone they can bully and make fun of.

5. Have a good support system.
   Associate with positive people who will make you feel good and will help you to forget or ignore anything a bully is saying to you. This will help to stop a bully from making fun of you.

Tips & Warnings

• If you see someone who is being made fun of, help them out. When you send out good messages and others do the same, you have helped to stop the cycle of one person making fun of another. You have helped to stop people from being bullied.