Many people’s lives have been destroyed by verbal abuse at home, in schools and business settings. Children and teens have suffered mentally, physically and emotionally due to abusive language. In some cases, these attacks have led to years of anxiety, depression and even death. Remember those times when someone called you names or said something about your family, friends, your weight, race, whatever it might be. It was something that left you feeling sad, angry, frightened or powerless. Those are what we call Verbal bullying or abuse.
How do we stop something like this, unfortunately the answer is that you can’t. You do not have the power or control over what comes out of another person’s mouth, only they do. The good news is I am going to give you some tips on what you should and should not dot.
What should you do?
Talk to someone you can trust and adult, teacher or friend about what you are going through and what is being said by who.
Accept who you are and make yourself ready that anything can be said by anyone, you are not alone. Every single person has been a victim of something that was said by someone that we did not like by someone else. It is how you handle it that makes the difference.
Try to always make sure that you walk with friends that you trust and are positive, for a bully will seldemly say something about anyone when they walk in a group. If they do you have your friends there to support you and comfort you, for they know it is not true and could just reassure you that what the bully says is not true.
Remember you are in control of your own actions and emotions. Never forget about that rubber suit that you are wearing, make those words just bounce right off you.
What NOT to do
Retaliate in anger for that is what the bully wants. The bully tries to shift their insecurities onto you to make themselves feel better.
Do not play the game of the bully, understand him/her and think of a defence strategy.
Do not go into the area of where the bully hangs out, and if it can not be avoided, do not walk alone in those areas.
Do not keep quiet, talk to someone you can trust. Keeping quiet will not make the situation any easier or make it go away.
Do not try to get back at the bully another time by doing the same thing, for then you are no different than the bully.
