Strategies When Facing a Bully
Bullies and bullying come in all shapes and sizes and you may have to face up to one at any stage of your life. Perhaps the most vulnerable time is when you are at school, especially in the lower grades. This is the time when you will be, or have been, confronted by bullies and bullying tactics. Learning to face up to them can be very challenging.
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Effects and Last Resorts
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The results of bullying can be devastating and stay with the bullied person for life. It can prompt people to leave their jobs or their schools and can wreck lives permanently. Sometimes a bullied person just snaps. According to Janie Magruder of "The Arizona Republic" newspaper, this is what happened to the then 15-year-old Charles ‘Andy’ Williams, who snapped in March 2001. He took his dad’s gun to school, killed two fellow students and wounded 13. Now serving a 50-year prison sentence, he was – according to Janie Magruder – the classic victim of bullies.
Physical Strategies
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In school settings, the tactics of bullies often include physical violation, or the threat of it, of their victims. This can range from minor abuses such as pushing or slapping to more harmful attacks involving punches or kicks. One method is to retaliate in the same manner and inflict physical punishment in return. Although this is not always recommended, you should bear in mind that victims are often chosen because they are not expected to retaliate. When they do, the bully or bullies will usually cease altogether or find someone else to annoy.
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No Response
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One of the main points of bullying is to inflict demonstrable hurt or pain on the victim. The bully then gains some satisfaction from seeing the results of his actions. If the provocation is oral or in writing, he will be anticipating a response such as crying or some other expression of hurt emotions. If you are the victim of such tactics, one method that will usually work is to just ignore the provocation and show no response.
Ridicule
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If you have the strength and wit and want to get back at the bully, then you can show him how ridiculous he is being by giving him back some smart and equally humiliating words. Bullies are often emotionally brittle and weak. The bullying can be an expression of their frailties. When they get a taste of their own medicine, it is often they that are emotionally hurt – more so than the ‘victim.’
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References
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