Teentalk

Dear Teentalker,

Thank you for attending the Teentalk India session at your school, for reaching out and sharing your concerns. On behalf of the team, I also wanted to apologize for the delayed response, since there was a technical issue which has now been resolved.  

Bullying can hurt a great deal particularly if the other students are making fun of your hometown or even family background. Life can seem even more difficult when your teachers are not showing any concern to what you're going through.

Here are a few suggestions to help you get through this phase:

1.Do not react : to the statements made by your seniors who are bullying you.  This is easier said than done, but if you manage to stay calm, you WILL NOT be giving the bully what they want (that is your reaction of anger or feeling hurt). This, in turn will prompt the bully to walk away eventually.  Please click on the following links to know more: 

http://teentalkindia.com/factsheet/bullying/get-the-facts-bullying-2

2.Protect yourself: If the bullying persists, despite ignoring and being calm, the next best thing is to make sure that you stay safe, by moving around in groups. Confide in a classmate or some other friends of your age about your situation. Remember, safety lies in numbers, so make sure, you learn to protect yourself! Please click on the following link to learn more: http://teentalkindia.com/explore/bullying/8-times-harry-and-his-friends-stood-up-to-their-bullies

3.Learn to stand up for yourself: In other words, be assertive and getting through the situations will become relatively better. You can learn more about assertiveness by watching relevant videos. Please click on the following links to know more:

i)How to be assertive- http://teentalkindia.com/video

ii)5 tips on how to be more assertive- http://teentalkindia.com/video/explore/expert-speak

You can also work on the tool 'The DEARMAN technique' to help you get started. Please click on the following links to know more: http://teentalkindia.com/toolbox

4.Learn to strike a power pose:  In order to increase your self-confidence, strike a power pose (that is stand like a superhero, batman or superman) for 2 minutes in a private space (this could be either your bedroom or bathroom). This might seem a little fake or unreal in the beginning, but eventually, after regular practice, it will become a part of who you are. You can also work on the tool 'Boost your self-esteem'. Please click on the following link to get started: 

http://teentalkindia.com/toolbox/2

5.Clarify about your hometown:  Let your friends know that every place has its good and bad side and so does your hometown, so please be firm while explaining the same.

6.Focus on your short and long-term goals: Just because you're going through a difficult phase now, doesn't mean it has to be like that forever. You can choose to start working towards your short-term and long-term goals by working on the SMART goals activity tool. Please click on the following link to know more: 

http://teentalkindia.com/toolbox/2

You can also learn more by reading the following articles: http://teentalkindia.com/explore/bullying/5-celebrities-with-inspiring-stories-of-winning-against-the-bullies

http://teentalkindia.com/explore/bullying/the-psychology-of-a-bully

Hope this helps, if you have any other query do connect online for chat from 11am-8pm or drop us an offline message.

Regards,

Expert Teentalk India