Recently, some news caught most people’s eyes: “ Japanese princess being bullied at school”.  The eight-year-old princess Aiko, granddaughter of the Japanese emperor, made several excuses not to go to school after being bullied by boys at her elementary school.  It is surprising that even someone as noble as a princess could be unfairly treated at school. What about normal kids？

Generally speaking, bullying refers to a person or a group of people repeatedly picking on someone who seems to be weak or vulnerable.  Bullies try to control other kids by teasing, threatening, taunting, and even stealing.  It usually occurs at school, and can happen at any grade.  An expert suggests that if the bullying can be stopped at an early age, it can prevent more severe bullying occurring in the future.  Being a teacher for ten years, I handled so many cases of bullying.  Here are two important things that I want to tell possible victims:
Be confident－ Remember that everyone is equal.  When someone picks on you at anytime, don’t tolerate this behavior or believe that you deserve it.  Your weakness will make the bullies look down on you and want to bully you more often.  Then, ask the teacher or an adult you trust fro help immediately.  The teacher or an adult will step in and take a stand against it.  They will protect you from being bullied.

I remember one of my students who had been severely bullied since 5th grade.  I met him at 8th grade in junior high.  He talked less and was often silent in class.  In the first semester of the 8th grade, he was threatened and hit at least four times.  Some 9th grade students made him take money to them.  If he didn’t, he sometimes was hit on the head or back.  He never asked for help, I was always the last one to know of the fact.  One day, I told him that if he wanted to change this kind of situation, he would need to trust me once.   He agreed.  He promised the next time he was bullied, he would tell me immediately.  That day, when he was bullied, he ran to tell me who the bullies were.  I called the victim’s and the bullies’ parents to come to school and discussed the cases together.  It was a little funny.  The bullies’ parents and the victim’s parents were friends and they were also relatives.  From that time on, the victim was afraid of no one, because he knew that the school would protect him.  And he finally attended a good vocational school.

I hope those who have been victims will not stay silent.  Stand calm and ask for help immediately.  If you do so, you won’t be bullied anymore.