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I've read from a few places that social skills groups or classes can help victims of bullying become less of an easy target. I want to know how so?
Well, someone who has better social skills tends to be more assertive and confident. That can deter a bully from even homing in on you and also neutralize their messages if they try. They'll go look for an easier target.
Because being able to communicate your thoughts and feelings properly makes it easier to navigate what could be tricky situations with peers, especially in adolescence.
It also makes you better at detecting how others are feeling, so you know how to approach them appropriately.
"Good social skills" is a combination of factors that is based in self-esteem, which leads to confidence. Having confidence to deal with others is key.
There were some bullies in my school, who "tried" to bully me, but I think because of my social skills a lot of times I got out of awkward situations, either cause friends supported me, or because I stood up for myself and made it plain obvious that I don't care what others think of me.
There were actually a couple of people who said they were sorry too, or who later opened up to me and told me about their family conditions which were putting pressure on them and making them more aggressive. Those people told me that one of their parents was too bossy usually and they felt like they always had to prove something. Ironically it was quite sad.
I'll add that people with poor social skills tend to spend more time alone, and that's what bullies look for. You don't often see bullies pick a random guy out of a big group of friends to pick on.
Good social skills include the ability to see a situation from a point of view not your own. If you can perceive that someone is not just being mean for the sake of being mean but rather because of their own insecurity or anger at something that has nothing to do with you, you could say or do something to divert the conversation or action instead of simply reacting personally to the bullying.
Good social skills make you more likable, which in itself makes bullies less likely to bother you. It also gives you allies and friends to lean on, and bullies don't want to contend with them as well.
There is a LOT to having good social skills. One of those is being able to "read the room". Sometimes, it's knowing when to be quiet. Sometimes it's about developing a sense of humor. Sometimes, it's about knowing how to avoid bullies, and sometimes it's knowing when to confront them. Sometimes it's about having social currency...like...you're the star football player, or the cheerleader.
And...sometimes it's about knowing how to get the bullies back. People who are more socially aware often have the social wherewithal to have the perfectly timed insult, and sometimes it the social wherewithal to offer help to the bully, when the bully is struggling.
And often, the bully IS struggling with something. Lousy home situation or some such. Sometimes you can actually be of some kind of help, maybe.
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