𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐀

tackling bullies

I walked into the school building, dreading every single step I took into it. I pushed the big and heavy school gate open and looked at the school compound I was once mesmerized with. Not because of the way it was beautified but because of its size.

I walked slowly into the classroom as I came to school early. Luckily for me, no one in my class had arrived yet so I had some alone time to myself.

I dragged my locker to the back of the class and put Chiamaka's locker where mine once was.

"If only I had done this earlier my locket would still be intact" I thought, sadly.

I had initially planned to bring out my JSS 1 and JSS 2 books to read for my junior WAEC but I dropped that and instead began to think of how to solve my bullying problem.

I knew I was a shy person, I was always a shy person but somewhere Inside me, I thought myself as tough and confident. That was until I had to face bullying problems.

I had almost forgot the school had a guidance counselor and she was in school that morning already.

I walked up to her office and knocked gently on the door.

"Come in!" I heard her say.

The school's guidance counselor was a lady who looked like she was in her early thirties.

She, apparently, lived in California for a few years and returned back to Nigeria to help her sick mother in the village and for some reason, her mother forbade her from going back to America, so she stayed and now she's our school's guidance counselor, so I heard.

"Good morning ma, sorry for disturbing you by this time" I said, as I gradually walked inside.

"No, no. It's alright. Is there a problem?" She asked me.

"Umm, ma, how do does a person stop others from bullying him/her and stand up for his/herself despite being shy... Hypothetically speaking, that is" I said.

She nodded and said "Well, first off, some bullies weren't always bullies. Some, on the other hand, always bullied and intimidated others because it's become a habit of theirs. Their just naturally rude, violent and whatever, based on their home training. Those bullies who weren't always how they are now were products of broken homes maybe, physical assaults and many more. Some might feel insecure and have low self-esteem but don't want anyone to know that so instead they start acting tough and making people feel intimidated and scared of them, you must not let them get to you."

She paused for a while, looking at me. I nodded for her to continue.

"If someone tries to bully you know that they're looking for a reaction from you. Show them that you're not scared and just ignore them, it doesn't mean you have to be rude though. Secondly, you can simply just tell them to stop in a bold and confident voice. I know what you might be thinking.. it's easier said than done"

Wow! That was actually what I was thinking.

"When they see your courage and confidence, they'll back off, trust me, because they'll notice that none of the threats they make would work on you. Also, always move around with friends because bullies often target kids who are alone or socially isolated and avoid bully hot spots, by that I mean the places bullies tend to hang out alot. If the bullying gets physical be sure to keep your eye on the exit and use it when the opportunity presents itself or attract attention. And if the person, hypothetically speaking, is shy. . . Then I guess the person just has to try to gain some confidence. Look them in the eye and stand upright, don't shake, you can still breath, just don't show them any sign of fear. Then maybe you can say something like, you'll report the person/people to a teacher, parent, any adult that's around. I hope what I said helped.". She said, giving a warm smile.