No one should feel like it is okay that he/she is being bullied, and you should feel safe when at school and in other situations.   If you are being bullied here are some strategies that should help:

In most cases it is essential that you TELL A TRUSTED ADULT.  Because of the power imbalance in bullying it is not easy to solve it on your own.  Tell a parent, teacher, youth leader, or any other adult in the school or at home.  If you are not sure who to tell, call the Granite School District reporting hotline.  CALL 801-481-7199 or TEXT: 801-664-2929. ALL CONTACTS ARE CONFIDENTIAL.

Along with telling an adult, FIND AN ALLY.  If you are with one or more friends it is harder for a bully to target you.

WALK AWAY from, or AVOID the bully. Getting away, or staying away from a bully doesn’t mean you are weak, it means you are smart!

In some cases of bullying it can be helpful to IGNORE the bully.  Bullies like to get an emotional reaction out of their targets.  If they can get you to get angry or sad they get the payoff they expect.  Even though the bullying hurts, if you stay calm and do not react, the bully may move on.

Use HUMOR to deal with bullying. This is another strategy that keeps the bully from getting the emotional reaction he/she is hoping for.  Making a joke about the situation can help, but never make a joke about the bully.  This will usually just make him/her angry and could make things worse.

Be ASSERTIVE.  Stand up for yourself and tell the bully to stop.  Use a calm voice and confident body language.  Do not make it a challenge or threaten the bully.