Trevor Romain - Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain

The alarm clock buzzes and you slowly crawl out of bed. Another school day, and youre miserable. For the past few weeks, a kid in your class has been picking on you, pushing you when the teacher isnt looking, calling you Dog Breath (or worse), making you do embarrassing things, and generally getting on your nerves. You didnt do anything to provoke this behavior, and youre wondering why the bully has chosen you for a target. You get your lunch money from your mom and hide it in your shoe, hoping that the bully wont try to take your money today. Then you go to wait for the school bus. When it pulls up, you see the bully staring out at you from the back of the bus with a mean grin. Uh-oh, you think. How am I supposed to handle this today?

Does any of this sound familiar?

If youre trying to cope with a bully problem, heres the first thing you need to know:

Youre not alone.

Everyone has been bullied at some point. Other kids in your school or neighborhood are probably dealing with bully problems similar to yours. The trouble is, most people keep bully problems a secret. They feel ashamed or scared to talk about whats really happening. They think that if they ignore the situation, it will go away. (It wont.)

Heres the second thing you need to know about your bully problem:

Its not your fault.

Youre not doing the bullying. Someone else is. You didnt ask to be bullied. Someone else decided to bully you. Was it something you did? Something you said? Is it because of how you look or where you live or what you wear or any other reason you can possibly think of? (Nope.)

What is a bully, anyway? Heres how Websters Dictionary defines one:

A blustering, browbeating

person; especially one who

is habitually cruel to others.

In other words: Bullies are people with problems. They like to hurt and frighten people they see as smaller or weaker. Experts tell us that bullies like to be in control. By controlling you, a bully feels strong and superior. And you feel puny, afraidand angry.

BULLIES ARE A PAIN IN THE BRAIN!

Bullies are found everywherein small communities, towns, big cities, playgrounds, neighborhoods, malls, parks, on the streets, and anywhere else people gather. Most of all, bullies are found in schools. You may have one sitting right next to you in class.

Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. Boys can be bullies, and so can girls. Adults can be bullies, too. Bullies have been around for centuries. In fact, theyve been bothering, pestering, hurting, and troubling people for too long. The good news is, bullies can be stopped.

This book will help you to understand why some people are bullies and how you can deal with them. Youll read about becoming Bully-Proof, stopping bullies from hurting others, and getting help in dangerous situations. If youre the one doing the bullying, this book can also help you. Youll see that you can get along with others, and feel good about yourself, without making other peoples lives a complete misery. And you can also learn to deal with the bullies in your life.

Young people have a right to feel safe, secure, and protected at school and in their communities. If you dont feel safe, reading this book can be the first step toward changing that.