Make a comment. Let the person or people who are making fun of you know that it is not ok and not actually funny.
Keep this simple and stay calm. They may be genuinely unaware that they are hurting your feelings.
A lot of the time, other people are looking for a reaction. They want you to be embarrassed or even worked up.
It is not as fun for them if you ignore it or don’t take the bait.
You could even say, ” Yeah, whatever” or change the subject. If neither of these strategies work, trying one of the others below might be a next step.
If things are starting to get nasty or you are feeling upset about comments that are being made, logging off can give you the chance to calm down and then decide what you would like to do next.
It can also remove the tension from a situation and let it die down naturally.
It’s also a good idea to log out and take a breath and think things through before replying to avoid saying something out of upset/anger that you might later regret (or could even make things worse).
If this has been going on pretty regularly lately or it is having a negative impact on your life, it might be worth removing yourself from the group.
Other members are not notified when you leave.
Friends that care about you understand your feelings and even though you might poke fun at each other every now and then, this should not be a pattern, it should also not feel really one sided or like you are always the butt of the jokes. Friendships shouldn’t work that way.
Whether this is online or off, spending some time with other people that treat you with kindness and respect can help you to step away from what had been making you upset or angry.
It is also a good chance to have a think about what kinds of friendships you want (and what kind of friend you are). If the group is not so fun anymore, or the people in the group make you feel worthless then it could be worth a rethink?
Take some time to chat to someone that you trust about what has been going on and how it has been making you feel.
Make sure you ask if they have time to talk so that you are not interrupted or they are not in a rush (or in a bad head space themselves).
They might have experienced something similar that they can tell you about. They might also have a different perspective or point of view that might help you look at the situation differently.
Talking it through (even if you do this via text or messaging) can help you work out your own solution or work out what is really getting to you.
Bonnie talks about a rumour spread by a jealous ex that she was in a gang bang and how this was accepted as the truth. The hate and abuse that followed made her feel alone and worthless until she had an opportunity for a fresh start.
Tim talks about being bullied and that he should kill himself to deal with his problems and how he got support to get through.
Eve shares her story about feeling bullied online and a threat made about her and what she did to get through the situation.
Kate talks about when a ‘friend’ pretended to be a boy messaging her and how things got worse from there.
Kate talks about a friendship breaking down and then finding out she was being talked about in FB groups she wasn’t part of.
Sonia talks about a hate page that was set up at her school about someone else and how she stepped in to help.
Jen talks about being bullied online and getting a message ‘out of the blue’ to kill herself.
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