Anyone can be a bully. People often assume that a bully is someone bigger, stronger, or older than us, but that is not always the case. You may be bullied and not even notice it is happening. Sometimes it can start off as a practical joke and escalate further into something more severe. If in there eyes your just a friend and doing jokes don’t be afraid to speak out if your uncomfortable if they still continue either out of malice or not, you should tell a trusted adult.

Bullying can be prevented in many ways, such as telling a trusted adult, for instance a teacher, parent, or staff member. A victim can not give a reaction  and standing up for themselves, confronting the bully or bullies. Victims when confronting them should not let it lead to a physical altercation

While cyberbullying may occur and you do not know who it is there is always a option to block and report them, there only behind a screen they have no power over you whatsover/

If your uncomfortable with any joke or horseplay tell them to stop, if there a good genuine friend there should be no reason whatsoever that they do not stop

“Students who are experiencing ongoing bullying behaviors should always advocate for themselves, first and foremost. Talk about it and share the incident with a trusted adult, walk away from a situation, block the person on social media, find trusted friends to be with. Students should feel confident that they will be backed up by the school after they report an incident of bullying. There is zero tolerance for bullying. Keeping a record of any bullying-type messages sent and taking screenshots of evidence, if possible, is also important,” Ms. Cocina further elaborated.

“Students who witness the unwelcome behavior should act immediately and defend the victim by simply saying something such as, ‘That’s not cool,’ or ‘Stop. Leave them alone.’ If the situation continues, then they should also report it to the administration and encourage their friend(s) to do so as well. ILS is a Salesian school family environment where respect and kindness are key. Here, everyone should feel safe and unafraid to speak up for themselves or others,” added Ms. Cocina.

“In my opinion, I don’t really see how someone smaller and weaker is able to bully someone, since the victim can physically stop them and well with texts you can always just ignore it.” Sophomore Trace Wcyhe

“Its never really brought to my attention that anyone can be a bully, I just always see something similar along the lines of Say No to Bullying” Sophomore Francisco Cazelato