Many bullies bully their targets by using physical violence and force, or the threat of it. Nobody wants bodily harm, and there’s no shame or blame in that. So, instead of just standing there and letting the bully pound on you or continue to threaten you, you must defend yourself. But if you aren’t the kind who believes in throwing punches, how do you protect yourself without resorting to violence?
Here are a few ways:
1. Talk your way out of the altercation. You do this by giving the bully a small dose of (false) empathy and sympathy. Pretend like you feel bad for “the poor guy” and use the appropriate tone of voice and body language to make it sound convincing. And your body language and tone should match your words and convey empathy.
For example, you can begin with, “I understand why your upset about XYZ…” then state your case.
But don’t overdo it! Don’t say any more than what needs to be said, don’t talk too fast or look nervous. The last you want to do is to come off like you’re trying too hard because the bully will only think you’re scared or fake.
2. If talking doesn’t work, leave the situation (if possible). Find a way to get way away from the person. If you can’t get away because the bully has you cornered or trapped, then, by all means, fight your way free if you have to.
Although you may not want to resort to hitting back, sometimes there’s no other choice. It’s either fight or get your butt handed to you.
3. Call for help. Call 911 and get the police involved. The bully may get away with it, but at least there will be a record of the call and a police report on file should the bully come after you again.
4. If all else fails, FIGHT! Sock the bully in the nose! Sometimes, you have no choice but to use the last resort for self-defense. You’ve tried everything else so you have a record on the bully. Chances are that others will know you fought in self-defense and give you a pass, which is another benefit to establishing a recorded history of your bully’s bad behavior.
You can’t go wrong with establishing a recorded history of bad behavior. A trail of records will go a long way in keeping you protected.
Iron sharpens Iron, bring back bullying and let the boys fight again with boxing gloves , also bring back men into the schools to run them.
Many years ago I had a much larger than I was bully …… I had enough his bullying not only myself but others as well ……. I dropped him with one swift, hard kick to the groin, I feared the worst, but he NEVER bother me again!
Wow! You really floored that creep! I’m proud of you! 😀
Most bullies don’t have a clue what to do when the victim hauls off and smacks them. My Dad hated bullies. He put boxing gloves on me when I was 5 years old. Told me to never back down. But never bully anyone.
Sounds like you had a smart dad! And you’re right! Most bullies are stunned when the target hauls off and hits them in that booger box! And when you stunned them, that’s when you keep drilling them until someone breaks it up. One lick won’t do because the bully will get back up and charge you.
You forgot laughter. I had a bully pick me up and slam me against a locker… I laughed and asked, “What are you gonna do? Go ahead and get suspended.”
He let me go and never bothered me again. I don’t like the “I understand you’re upset” approach because that accepts the bully’s premise which is twisted in the first place. I never accept garbage and try to work it out from there.
You have a point there! Sometimes laughter truly is what works because it throws the bully off balance. They don’t know what to think! 😂