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Hotline Discusion Bullying
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Edited: 8/4/2011 11:23 AM
I need help with bullying. I feel like I'm all alone, and I can't handle it. Everyday I look in the mirror, and I see the person they talk about, and it hurts.
 
I've talked to my parents they are trying to understand, but they are just not getting it. I can't talk to my friends because some of them are my problem.


Edited: 8/4/2011 11:23 AM
Bullying is incredibly painful, and we're sorry to hear you're experiencing it.  You've done a good job, though, by assessing how you feel.  You've realized that the bullies are affecting your self-esteem, and you've firmly stated, "I can't handle it."  We don't blame you.

It's really tricky to deal with bullies.  Every bully is different, so you never know what method will work and what won't.  It's great to hear that your parents are trying to help -- even if they're having a hard time understanding.  There are still a lot of parents out there who wave off their kids' concerns about bullying as just "part of growing up," so be thankful that you have parents who are trying! 

If your parents haven't contacted the school yet, that might be your next step.  Make an appointment for you and your parents to meet with the guidance counselor.  Schools have bullying policies nowadays, and they should be able to help you come up with a plan on how to minimize the bullying.  They can help, too, by offering you support and maybe helping you keep away from the kids who are bothering you.

In the meantime, you need to take steps to salvage your self-esteem.  You can do this with simple positive affirmations.  We have some worksheets on our website that can help:

http://www.yourlifeyourvoice.org/DiscoverIt/Pages/JournalPages.aspx

Look at "What About Me?," "Blessings List," "Looking at the Positives," and any other ones that look interesting.  It might seem kind of silly to stand in front of your mirror once a day saying, "I am a nice person with straight teeth," or whatever you want to say, but these little things are VERY helpful when you're dealing with something like bullying.

If these kinds of things don't work, you might want to talk to a counselor for a little while until you get back in the swing of things.  Ask your parents or your school counselor about that.  If you feel like those wounds from the bullying aren't healing up no matter what you try, it's a good idea to look for a professional.

We hope this helped a little.  Take care of yourself.  You'll make it through this!

Kate, Counselor
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