Stop Anticipating the Worst: Determine A Bully's Threat Level

Anticipate the Bully as a bigger threat than they actually are, and your imagination will start to work against you. In this episode we sort out the difference between bullying and the sort of physical violence that exceeds it. To get your imagination to slow down its reel of worst case scenarios, I advise listeners to use a specific strategy to determine the bully's threat level: Use the old saying, actions speak louder than words, as your guide. Look at a given bully's past actions to determine what they're likely to do in the future. If they are unknown to you or likely to do physical harm, then their threats need to be reported to adult authorities. However, if they are in the far more likely group of bullies, who may issue threats but don't cause much physical harm, then it's probable they are not a danger. This means you can stop anticipating the worst from them, see them for what they are, and prepare to call their bluff. Either way you can stop anticipating once you've assessed and addressed.Disclaimer: Keep in mind I am a teacher, not a therapist nor healthcare provider. It's my pleasure to provide lessons here to teach young people about the pattern of bullying and successful ways to approach it. I ask all young listeners to reach out to trusted adults and parents before implementing the lessons in their personal lives. This content is not meant to replace advice from a therapist or provider. Listening and learning here is your choice, as is any decision you make to act on what you learn. I do not know all of you personally, so I cannot provide personalized instruction during the episodes. However, I'm here to help and support you, and I want the best for you.