Bullies often pick on people who appear weaker than they are and lack confidence. “Fake it ‘til you make it,” and maybe you won’t get picked on anymore. Plus, pretending to be confident may actually help you to feel more confident in the long run.
Resist the urge to blush, flee, or show that you are embarrassed by the bullying. Stay calm and act as though it isn’t affecting you at all. If you have trouble putting on a poker face, try to think of something serious (like a work or school project) whenever the person is nearby.
If it helps, try repeating to yourself, “It’s about them, not me,” over and over again.
If you have to be around them, cut the interactions as short as possible. If you’re in a meeting, sit several chairs down. If you’re at a gathering, mingle with guests in a different room. You don’t have to make it obvious that you’re avoiding the person—just limit time around them overall. If the bully begins to follow you, their behavior has escalated to stalking and should be reported immediately.
If the bully calls you out for changing your routine, remember that it’s none of their concern. Simply ignore them. Avoid eye contact and carry on with what you were doing.
You can also report the person to the website administrator. If you’re worried that unfriending them will make them upset, try simply unfollowing them. That way, the connection is still there, but you won’t have to see their posts anymore. You can go into your privacy settings and limit what they see on your profile, too. You can stop using social media if their behavior continues to bother you.
Being with others will also help you strengthen your self-esteem, which will make you feel more capable of standing up to the bully.
Be firm with your boundaries. Don’t waver—otherwise, the abuse may continue. Setting healthy boundaries will make you feel more confident about yourself and your ability to speak up to others.
You might say, “Whenever I walk into the room, you burst out laughing. That’s really rude. Please stop it. ”
Examples of rights against bullying may include having the freedom to speak out against bullying without fear of retribution. In addition, the facility (work, school, etc. ) is required to investigate the situation and put an action plan in place to stop it. Check out your school or employee handbook to find out your rights.
Having someone to back up your claims may prompt those in authority to take the situation seriously. If the bullying comes down to their tone of voice or nonverbal actions, just try to document it as best you can by making notes and dating each incidence.
You might say something like, “I have repeatedly asked Don to include me in the group brainstorm meetings, but he continually plans them behind my back. His subtle bullying is keeping me from doing my job effectively. I need your help. ”
