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Bullying

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Why some girls are bullied

Many young women who are bullied do not try to get out of the situation, mainly because they do not know many other teen girls are bullied each year. Some teens are so afraid of losing their friends that they go along with what others say and do, even if it is mean and hurts themselves or other people.

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So why do certain people get bullied? Why are they bullied more than others? Often, bullies target people they are jealous of or people they know will not fight back. Also, bullies pick on people who seem “different” from themselves or their friends. Many times, young women want so badly to fit in with the popular crowd, that they do not tell on bullies when they are picked on or made fun of.

Why a young woman who is bullied may not ask for help:

• She may be afraid to stand up for herself or voice her opinions.
  Amy’s story: The school bully has been telling Amy that her clothes are ugly. Amy is shy and less likely to stand up for herself, which is probably why the bully chose to pick on her. Amy thinks that if she tells the bully she doesn’t care what she thinks of her clothes, it will make things worse.
• She is too afraid to get help from anyone, especially adults.
  Megan’s story: Rumors are going around that Megan had sex with someone at a party. It’s not true, and her feelings are hurt that people are spreading lies about her. Megan doesn’t want to tell an adult because she thinks it would not be cool.
• She may not have her friends around and feels unable to defend herself.
  Keisha’s story: Keisha heads to the bathroom during lunch at school. The group of girls already in the bathroom makes fun of her and calls her names, because she is alone.
• She is seen as different from everyone else because of her age, weight, clothing, family, money, race, ethnicity, and religion. She may also have different ideas and hobbies that others think are weird.
  
  Fatima’s story: Fatima, who is Muslim, wears a headscarf to class. She often gets teased and laughed at, because she is seen as different than the other kids at school.

Content last updated June 25, 2008

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