Bullying can make you feel helpless. But there is a lot you can do to help yourself.

• Stay away from bullies
• Look for new friends who won't be mean.
• Stand up for yourself and other people
• Keep calm - Don't let bullies see that they are getting to you. Even if you are really upset, try saying things like 'OK', 'Whatever', 'So you say'. They might lose interest if they think they aren't hurting you.
• Tell an adult you can trust - Talking about it will make you feel better, and adults can only help if they know there is a problem
• If you are being bullied at school, ask a teacher to tell you about the school's rules on bullying. These can tell you what you and the school should do to stop it.
• Keep a written diary of what is happening. Writing it down is a good way of keeping track of what is going on and how it makes you feel. It can be used to show people what has been happening to you, and could also make you feel a lot better.
• If you think you are in danger, contact your local Police Station - Whether the bullying is happening in school, the youth club or in the street, the Police take any report of bullying very seriously. It will be viewed as a possible crime, and they will look into it. The Police will also work to help you and the bully sort out the situation (Phone 03456 043 043 or Text: 07786 200 814 ... NOT 999!)

If you're being bullied by text, email or on the Internet:

• Tell an adult and show them any messages you've received
• Don't answer to an internet bully in a chat room, and never answer to nasty text messages
• Stick to controlled chat rooms that your parents know about
• If bullying starts in a chat room, leave straight away and tell an adult - they can then contact the site manager
• Never to give out your contact details online or put photographs of yourself on websites

If you have done all this and are still worried then you can contact NSPCC and Childline to talk confidentially or contact us, antibullying @ southtyneside.gov.uk, and we can work with you and your school.

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