Children who are a little different from the rest are teased. Unfortunately, this has always been the case. Today, however, there are many ways to fight to tease (also called bullying). Before we show you what you can do about it, let’s answer a few basic questions.

Why Do Some Children Enjoy Teasing Others?

There are many scientists around the world who are studying this very question. They are trying to find an answer to why children tease each other.

So far, they have come to the conclusion that bullying is not so much due to the personality of the perpetrator. Rather, living together in class is mainly responsible. After all, conflicts (i.e., disputes) are a normal occurrence. Because everyone is different, people get into each other’s hair when they disagree.

In such disputes, there are always offensive types and others who prefer to keep a low profile. By the way, offensive means as much as belligerent. In school and at work, you can’t avoid a conflict like this. Children who don’t like to argue or who don’t want to assert themselves in a group, therefore, become victims very quickly. These children are shy, quiet or simply don’t feel like getting into an argument. Actually, these are very reasonable, smart children.

Outside of school and work, reserved people tend to avoid fights or arguing groups. In a class or on the job, however, they are forced to stay put.

Thus, bullying can occur in the classroom or via the Internet.

Is Bullying Punishable By Law?

Unfortunately, there is no explicit reference to the punishability of bullying at school and in the workplace in any legal text.

Nevertheless, in some countries it is a criminal offense to harass someone on the grounds of

• his sex
• its origin
• his religion
• his age
• weight
• or his sexual orientation

exclusion. Therefore, it is very possible to press charges against the perpetrator. However, this rarely helps to really solve the problem anyway. Sometimes the attacks even get worse as a result.

Is It My Own Fault That I Am Being Bullied?

Many perpetrators claim that it is the victim’s own fault because he or she has made him or herself a target. If someone brags about their talents, dresses strangely or questions classmates, they should expect to be ostracized.

Don’t let these excuses sway you. You have the right to express your opinion. You also have the right not to be treated differently from other children because of your appearance.

Most of the time, perpetrators try to defend themselves as soon as they run the risk of being punished for their actions. In doing so, they can get really nasty and insist on things that aren’t true. This is not okay at all. In such situations, you should remain strong and be aware that you are in the right.

Remember this:
There is no reason or excuse that justifies bullying!

What Should I Do If I Am Being Bullied?

As soon as you are being bullied, you should talk to your class teacher or a guidance counselor about it. Nowadays, most schools take very strict action against the perpetrators. The majority of teachers do not tolerate teasing in the classroom.

If you feel sad every day because you keep getting teased, talking to the teacher is no longer enough. If the exclusion goes beyond one-time teasing, then you should press charges. As mentioned earlier, you must expect the situation to get worse. It may happen that the perpetrators become even more aggressive. However, this should not stop you from insisting on your rights. Your parents and friends will certainly support you.

It may help to talk to a psychotherapist about your sadness. These professionals have a lot of experience with victims of bullying. They can show you ways to gain self-confidence and leave the sadness behind. They will be gentle and let you decide what you want to talk about and what you don’t want to talk about. You set the pace! The more confidence you can gain, the better you will be able to open up – this will take some time.

By the way, psychotherapists are bound by confidentiality. This means that they are not allowed to tell you anything that you have discussed during the therapy session.

You are not ready to confide in a therapist in a direct conversation? If you prefer to write about your feelings, you can turn to one of the many counseling chats on the Internet. On our site you will find an article with many links on this topic.

In the next section, we would also like to introduce you to a suggestion box on the Internet that is particularly suitable for children like you.

Your Suggestion Box At Mein-Kika.De

In the chat on the Kinderkanal homepage, there are always moderated discussions on topics that move kids. You can find announcements about the next dates directly on mein-kika.de. By the way, you don’t have to be registered in the Kika community to participate in these group discussions.

Please follow the rules of the chat and read the chat instructions carefully before entering the chat!

Further Contact Points For You

On the page mobbing-schluss-damit.de/erste-hilfe you can find emergency numbers and addresses of information centers for Austria, Germany and Switzerland. As a victim of bullying, you can also contact the following agencies.

Counseling In Germany

crisis-services.suicide-forum.at/germany.html
Don’t be put off by the name of the homepage. It shows you local counseling centers around mental crises. Germany’s telephone counseling services are also listed there.

Counseling In Austria

familienberatung.gv.at/start/mobbing/
The Family Service of the Federal Ministry for Families and Youth offers you anonymous and free counseling at fixed times. You can find out more about this directly on the homepage.

Mobbing Contact Point At The AKH Vienna
If you are not feeling well because you are being bullied, you can definitely ask at your local hospital. There are specialists there who can help you quickly.
In the AKH Vienna there is even a bullying contact point that you can use.

Hilfswerk
The Austrian relief organization is represented in all larger cities in the country. There you can get free counseling and psychotherapy.

Counseling In Switzerland

zkj.ch/crisis-intervention.html
The Swiss crisis intervention centers are happy to help you find out more about your options locally.

mobbing-center.ch/
A list of other counseling centers as well as numerous questions and answers await you on this well-prepared site.

Worksheet For The Text

1) Explain the difficult words from the text.
What does…

• Bullying
• Conflicts
• offensive
• Psychotherapist
• Confidentiality

2) Remember the beginning of the text. Why do some children enjoy teasing others?

3) Take a look at mein-kika.de. Which chat dates are coming up next? Write down your result here.

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