Help for Students
What to Do If You Are Being Bullied
Being bullied is scary. It can make you feel alone, like something is wrong with you, and like it’s never going to stop. None of that is true. Around 1 in 3 students will be bullied this year — which means in almost every classroom, there are others who know exactly how you feel right now. You are not alone, and this doesn’t have to stay this way.
Bullying is an attempt to take your power away
That’s what it is, underneath all of it. Whether someone is deliberately leaving you out, calling you names, hitting you, humiliating you online, or turning other people against you — the goal is to make you feel small, powerless, and alone. Understanding that doesn’t make it hurt less. But it does change the question. The question isn’t “what’s wrong with me?” There is nothing wrong with you. The question is: how do you get your power back?
The first thing to know is this: your power doesn’t come back by sinking to their level. Fighting back, retaliating online, or trying to out-humiliate them almost always makes things worse — and puts you at risk too. Your power needs to come back in a different way. And it starts with not letting them win inside your head.
Don’t Let Them Win Inside Your Head
They want you to believe what they’re saying about you. Don’t give into that. When someone says cruel things about you repeatedly, or excludes you, or humiliates you in front of others, a part of your brain starts to wonder if they might be right. That’s not weakness — it’s just how humans work. But here’s what’s also true: what a bully says about you tells you everything about them, and nothing about you.
Bullies target your self-worth deliberately. Making you feel bad about yourself is how they keep the power. So one of the most powerful things you can do is hold your head up — not because you feel fine, but because showing them it’s working only gives them more fuel. Think of it as temporary armour while you work on the real solution. And the real solution is getting help.
Telling Someone is the First Step to Getting Your Power Back
Telling a friend or a trusted adult is the most powerful move you can make. It might feel like telling someone will make things worse. That people will think you can’t handle it. That the bullying will escalate. These fears are completely understandable — and they’re also exactly what bullies count on to stay in control. Bullying thrives in silence. The moment you tell someone, you break that silence, and the dynamic starts to change.
Tell someone you trust — a parent, a teacher, a school counsellor, a coach, a family member, anyone. You don’t have to have it all figured out before you do. You don’t need proof. You just need to say: this is happening to me, and I need help. Together you can make a plan. Together you can turn this around.
If you’re not sure who to trust, or you’d rather talk to someone outside your school or family first, there are people ready to listen — see the resources at the bottom of this page.
If You’re Feeling Like Life Isn’t Worth Living
Sometimes being bullied goes on long enough, or gets painful enough, that you start to feel like life isn’t worth living. If you’re feeling that way, please know: that feeling is real, and it matters. But it’s not the truth about your future — it’s a signal. It’s your mind telling you that something needs to change radically, and that you need support right now.
Please talk to someone today. If you can’t talk to someone you know, the resources below are there for you — free, confidential, and available any time.
US: Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7) UK: Call 0800 1111 (Childline, free, 24/7, under 19s)
