Am I a Bully?

“Bullying” in Delaware means:

any intentional written, electronic, verbal or physical act against you that: (1) instills reasonable fear of substantial harm to your emotional or physical well-being or substantial damage to your property; (2) creates a threatening, humiliating or abusive educational environment (meaning – you are afraid to go to school); (3) interferes with you having a safe school environment; or (4) coerces others to demean, embarrass or cause any harm to you.

What does that mean? Here are examples of bullying – what it might look or feel like:

  • I tease others a lot, call them names, insult them, or spread rumors about them.

  • I leave others out (like excluding them from my lunch table) or try to make others not be friends with them.

  • I use texting, tweeting and/or Facebook to spread rumors about people to insult or embarrass them.

  • I do these things over and over.

  • I take things from people or make them give me their stuff by threatening them.

  • Other kids seem really upset when I do these things.

  • Other kids avoid hanging around me or seem scared of me.

  • Doing these things makes me feel cool or powerful.

If you experience any of the symptoms below, your behavior needs to change before you hurt others and yourself.

  • no lasting friendships or constantly changing groups of friends

  • feeling angry, depressed, anxious, lonely

  • making yourself feel better by teasing and taunting others.

  • hang out at specific locations such as a neighborhood store, playground, or school to make fun of others and take their money and belongings

  • blame others for your problems and take your frustration out on them

  • gossip about others to make yourself look better

  • put others down so you can look “cool”