Tips For Kids:
Coping with Teasing

Talk about these IDEAS with a grownup...Maybe they'll help?

Try to prevent a run-in with a bully. Don’t give them a chance. Don’t hide but maybe take a different way home or to class to avoid them.

Have a buddy to hang out with. Two is better than one if you're trying to avoid being bullied. Make a plan to walk with a friend or two on the way to school or recess or lunch or wherever you think you might meet the bully. Hang out with other red heads if there are any around. Or hang out and make friends with others who envy your hair color or like you.

If you end up face-to-face with the teaser / bully then look at these different strategies for ideas. These may or may not work. It also depends on your situation. Red heads often get picked on so it’s good to have several action plans ready.

• Try your best to ignore the teaser. Pretend you DON’T HEAR THEM and walk away quickly to a place of safety. Bullies want a big reaction to their teasing and meanness. Acting as if you don't notice their comments about your red hair and don't care is like giving no reaction at all, and this just might stop a bully's behavior. (This may or may not work so don’t get frustrated.)
• Try to figure out why bullying or teasing is happening.
• Tell yourself you are a nice person. You don’t deserve this. It’s the teaser who has the problem not me and it’s not my fault.
• Act confident and brave even if you’re scared inside. A brave person look and acts confident. Pretend you’re brave if you have to. Stand tall, face them, arms folded and you'll send the message: "Don't mess with me." Act sure of yourself and calm. This shows the bully they have no power over you! When you're scared of another person, you're probably not feeling your bravest but sometimes just acting brave is enough to stop a bully.
• Act like the situation is no big deal. -- ‘thanks for paying attention to me’ and walk away or smile.
• Just look at the person and walk away and give the message: ‘get lost’
• Say "I don’t have a problem with you" and walk away
• Use humor like these; then walk away "Yea, I’m short. Trying to grow but can’t." "My mother makes me." "I can’t help that." "Yep, my hair’s red. At least it’s not blue!"
• Try kindness and give the person a compliment. Try to make friends. Offer to help them do something. Ask about something about them.
• Tell the bully clearly you don’t like what he’s doing. Stand up for yourself. Speak on a firm loud voice things like:
  "Cut it out"
  "Quit bugging me"
  "Leave me alone"
  "Don’t do that"
  "I don’t have time to play this game anymore"
  "I don’t like that"
  "It bothers me"
  "That’s not funny"
  "Stop it"
  "Thank you for telling me"
  "I already know that"
• Respond with your WORDS and give it right back to them. If they say you dress funny, tease them about what they wear and tease them back about same thing (hair, etc.). If tease about your RED HAIR and/or freckles, tease them about their hair, hairdo, skin, etc...."Takes one to know one"
• Put it back on them -- "Do you always blame someone for your problems?"
• Don't bully back. Don't hit, kick, or push back to deal with someone bullying you or your friends. Fighting back just satisfies a bully and it's dangerous too because someone could get hurt. You're also likely to get in trouble. Sometimes this is hard to do and you must defend yourself.
• If a bully wants you to do something that you don't want to do — say "NO!" and walk away. If you do what a bully says to do, they will likely keep bullying you. Bullies tend to bully kids who don't stick up for themselves.
• Don't show your feelings. Plan ahead. How can you stop yourself from getting angry or showing you're upset? Try distracting yourself (counting backwards from 100, spelling the word 'turtle' backwards, etc.) to keep your mind busy until you are out of the situation and somewhere safe where you can show your feelings later.

TIPS FOR KIDS #6: TELL AN ADULT. If you are being bullied, it's very important to tell an adult. Find someone you trust and go and tell them what is happening to you. Teachers, principals, parents, and lunchroom helpers at school can all help to stop bullying.

Sometimes bullies stop as soon as a teacher finds out because they're afraid that they will be punished by parents. This is not tattling on someone who has done something small — bullying is wrong and it helps if everyone who gets bullied or sees someone being bullied speaks up.