What to Do If You Witness an Act of Bullying

Not everyone is the victim of bullying and not everyone is the actual bully. In fact, there are others in the world - some of which who actually witness bullying taking place. However, the witness is just as afraid of the bully as the victim and is too scared to tell an adult of the bullying behavior. Because of this, it may just be easier to stand by and watch the bullying take place, watch the bully be mean and watch the victim get hurt; however, you should never just watch the bullying occur and do nothing about it. Never ignore that bullying is happening.

Here is some brief information that can help you understand how you can make a difference as an observer, or witness, of bullying:

    Never, ever join in on the bullying. When you see a peer being bullied by someone, don't jump in and help the bully. The bully is not the one in need of help and is not the side that you want to be on. Should the bully see you and ask you to come join in on the fun. Simply refuse, walk away, and seek help.

    Stand up for the bullying victim. While it will take a lot of audacity, it is important that you take a stand for the victim. Defend the bully's victim. Sometimes, your bravery will surprise the bully and could actually embarrass the bully resulting in the bully leaving the victim alone in some cases.

    Offer to help the victim. Once the bully has finished his/her unnecessary exploit, attempt to help the victim of the bully. He/she may not want your help, but it is better to offer if you saw something happen than to sit back and ignore it. Make sure the victim is okay and encourage the victim to speak to an adult about the bullying behavior. Tell him/her that you will go with them to speak to an adult and stand up for themselves.

    Stop the rumors, if there are any. If there have been rumors spread about a person, don't continue to spread them. Stop them in their tracks. Think about if it was turned the other way around. What if there was an untrue rumor about you going around school - would you want people to keep repeating it? Of course not, so what makes you think that this person does? While it may not put an end to the rumor completely, not repeating the gossip will ensure that it does not come from your mouth, you did not contribute to the spreading of the rumor and the rate at which the rumor continues to spread will decrease.

    Tell an adult. Never just stand back and watch someone be bullied especially if it is physically. Get to an adult as quickly as you can and explain what is going on and where.

Remember, everyone needs help at some point in time. Help those in need. Help the person being bullied. After all, you never know when you may be the victim of a bully and need someone to help you.