How to Stand Up For Your Friends?

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HOW TO STAND UP FOR YOUR FRIENDS

Sometimes, standing up for your friends when they are in difficult situations can be scary. You might feel threatened and avoid getting involved. However, when your friends are in need and depend on you for support, your relationship with them is probably worth the leap.

Here are just reasons you should stand up for your friends:

They may be too scared to ask for help. People who are in different situations might experience a psychological freeze where they are unable to act or ask for help. Your friend will be relieved if you take the first step to reach out.

By standing up for your friends, you are de-escalating the situation and may even possibly prevent a souring relationship between you and your friends.

You can prove that you are a worthy friend, and build their trust. A true friend genuinely wants to help their friends. By standing up for your friends, you show them how much you care.

Knowing the benefits of standing up for your friends is one thing, but how can you do it? Here are some things you should think about when stepping it up.

Be assertive.
When you see your friend in a difficult situation, be firm and take control of the situation. Confront the other party and tell them to stop in clear terms. Have a confident demeanour, even when you don't feel so. One way you can do this is by holding the bully's eye contact. If you show fear, the bully will be more likely make you their new target.

2. Interrupt the situation by coming to the victim.
When you find any of your friends in a difficult situation, don't just look away, but approach him or her. Assess the bully and if there is no danger to yourself, come between the bully and your friend. It will help you assess your friend and know if they want you to intervene. Also, it might discourage the bully to continue.

3. Attract people to the situation.
Sometimes you need support from others to stand up for your friends. Therefore, call the attention of others, or an authority such as a cop, teacher or an elder. When you attract other people to the situation, the bully will be afraid and leave.

4. Befriend the bully.
If confronting the bully head-on can make you a target, try befriending the bully and make them see wrong in what they are doing. Speak softly to them and mediate the situation.

5. Advocate against bullying.
Educate others on the reasons bullying is bad and also how they can stand up for themselves and their friends in the face of bullying and any injustice. Share your story if you’ve been bullied before.

Have you ever stood up to bullying? Share with us in the comment below, how you were able to do so.