Filed under: Mean Stinks
"I think that the scariest thing [about being bullied] is admitting it and telling someone about it," says actress and singer Bella Thorne, who might not look like your idea of the typical bullying victim. "And I think that's the first step that you need to take."For the star of Shake It Up, who was bullied as a kid because of her trouble reading (she was dyslexic), that meant talking to her parents.
After talking to someone, you won't feel as alone, and you'll be amazed (sadly) at how many people you know who have been bullied too.
Bella's second piece of advice on dealing with bullies is pretty simple--just walk away.
"Don't pick a fight. If they're picking a fight with you, I would say to walk away," she advises. "That's the easiest thing to do, because if you keep antagonizing them, it just gets worse."
Don't let the bullies get to you. And if they do (hey, you're human) don't let them know they're getting to you.
"Who cares what they say about you?" asks Bella, who was recently named a global ambassador for Stomp Out Bullying. "They don't know you, they don't know your life. The best idea for me personally is just to walk away."
But there are times, the 14-year-old admits, when standing up for yourself can be cathartic.
She told us about a recent experience in which she stood up to a hater on Instagram, and another cyber-bully commented that Bella should be used to such online criticism because she's a celebrity.
"Just because I'm on the red carpet means that I should be bullied, and I should take the bullying and just suck it up? No!" says Bella.
We couldn't agree more.
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