Bullying can come in many shapes and forms. It can be verbal, or physical. It can online, or in the outside world. Its the act of intimidating a person repeatedly in a way they’re not welcome with. Most bullies pick on something different about their victim, and for most people at the YREA this will be because they like trains. You have got to remember there is nothing wrong with liking trains and doing what you do and nobody has the right to make you think otherwise, but its something which some bullies might pick up on. Bullies are usually very insecure themselves (sometimes they are even bullied themselves) so you just have to know how to deal with them.

How To Tell If Someones Being Bullied

A bully will usually pick out one thing about their victim and taunt them with it repeatedly.  This could be something about their physical appearance such as their hair colour or their body weight, it could because they have a disability of some kind, or it could be to do with an interest or hobby that they have. Other things which might lead to bullying could be sexuality, age, level of intelligence, race, class and so on. Remember that just because there’s something different about you doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it. You should be proud to do what you like and be who you want to be.

On the YREA bullying might take the form of constant rude comments, for example someone being nasty because you like a certain type of train but taking it too far by constantly being nasty about it. In everyday life bullying can be a lot more serious. It can take the shape of verbal bullying or it could be physical bullying where the bully will not just verbally abuse someone but will resort to violence. Its very serious when this happens and you should do something about it straight away.

What To Do About Bullying

If you are being bullied then you mustn’t say silent. If you do it means that they’ve won. You must tell someone be it a friend, a teacher, or a member of your family. Choose someone you feel comfortable with, someone you can trust and someone you know will help you best they can. It can be very difficult to come forward about bullying but you shouldn’t feel ashamed to.

If you are being bullied on the YREA then you can safely report the person or people involved by clicking the report button on the forum. This will report the one message to a member of staff. If no report button is available where the bullying is taking place (like if its in the Live Chat Box) then you can send an email to one of our staff using the Helpdesk. You can also message a member of staff personally if you feel more comfortable talking to one of them compared to the others. You can talk to anyone with a red or green username on the forums. We’re always willing to talk and will endeavour so solve your problem as quickly as we can.

But what if its not you being bullied? What if its someone else? If you feel comfortable with talking to the bully then politely ask him to stop. Alternatively, talk to the victim as what they tell you can help you decide what the best way to deal with it is. You can use all of the methods we’ve listed above to report bullying about another person.

Remember that the YREA team can only help you with bullying which takes place on our website. For bullying outside the YREA you should speak to some of the people mentioned earlier in this article or if its really serious and you feel the person might be in danger, the Police. One thing you mustn’t do is do nothing – if you let it continue you’re as bad as the bully yourself.

Useful Links & Telephone Numbers

• Bullying.co.uk - For bullying support and advice.
• Childline - Phone 0800 1111 (Free and open 24 hours a day).
• The Police - If someone is in immediate danger dial 999.

Article Author: Stuart Clark. Photograph: The Prisma.