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7 Superhero Steps for Children to Manage Bullying

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  1. Use the Calm Confidence of a SuperHero: Hold your head high, walk briskly like you are confident, have a peaceful face and body and be alert.  Put on your SuperHero Cape, and imagine you are one as you move through your day.
  2. Leave in a calm powerful way: Wrap yourself in the SuperHero Cape and get away from someone who is bullying or being mean.  Stepping out of a line, or changing seats is an effective way to leave with authority and assuredness.
  3. Set SuperHero Boundaries: Use your strong voice to let the bully know they need to STOP, put your hands up in front of you to show them they need to stop.  Using your SuperHero voice and hands to set boundaries helps people around you know about the bullying behavior.
  4. Protect your feelings from name calling and hurtful words. Wrap your SuperHero Cape around you and let the nasty words bounce off you.
  5. Be a SuperHero for others. Notice if others are being left out or teased then go to them and start a conversation or asks them to leave the situation with you. Show them they are liked and supported. Take the attention away from the bullies and their power will disappear.
  6. Find a SuperHero Adult who can help fix the problem. If one adult will not help, find another who will help.  Be persistent with the adults to let them know there is a problem.
  7. Use Fists as a last SuperHero option. The best choice is to avoid or walk away from someone’s bad behavior.  If the bully grabs you or hits you, you have the right to hit back in your efforts to get away.  Always talk with your parent about your family and school rules for fighting back.

*Note to Parents: Register your child in a Self Defense Class. Learning confidence and physical strategies can empower children so they are perceived as less of a target or victim.  Often, just by having the skills and knowing they can perform them if needed, will improve a child’s self esteem.  They hold their head up higher, walk with more confidence and give the impression that they are deliberate and strong.  As such, they are less likely to be victimized.*