WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN SOMEONE'S BEING BULLIED

Because bullying is a social attack, the Response is geared towards remedying the damage done by the bullying.

Talk with the person who’s being bullied.  Find out what’s happening and what they need.

The first step is Support.
	Make sure the person has a support network.
	If your child is being bullied, make sure they have friends to play with and talk to. Be a supportive parent. Do a lot of listening.
	If the bullying is happening at work, check out what’s available through any employee assistance program the employer might have.
	If the bullying is happening in the home, make sure you stay in touch with your family and friends. Do not isolate yourself further. Check out the various support networks that are available. For example, domestic violence shelters will know support groups in your area. If alcohol or drugs are involved, check out Alcoholics Anonymous; they have support groups for families of alcoholics.
	If the bullying is severe or has gone on for some time, get help from a counsellor.
The second step is Action.
	If your child is being bullied at school, go to the school and talk with their teacher and the principal. Find out more about what’s happening. Establish an action plan to help your child and then, follow up.
	If the bullying is happening at work, go to the human resources department and find out what your options are. Find out what your options are and develop an action plan.
	If the bullying is happening at home, find out what your options are and develop an action plan. It doesn’t have to be completed in a week or a month. Your confidence level will go up just knowing what your options are, what you can do to work things out and what you can do if things go wrong.
The third step is Skills.
	A person who has been targetted needs new skills to help them deal with the bullying.
	Understanding the dynamics of bullying helps to cushion the attack.
	FistFree Language™ provides a skillset that is effective, both for the target and for the bully. For the target, there are skills to deal with bullying. For the bully, they’ll learn skills that are better than bullying.