Bullying

Bullying is a big problem—lots of kids get bullied everyday, including many with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. In fact, according to a recent survey, kids with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis could be more likely to experience bullying at school.

There are lots of reasons that a bully might choose to act the way they do, but the bottom line is, it's not ok! If you are bullied, remember it's not your fault, it's not because of who you are, what you look like, or because you have psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or any other disease or conditions!

What is bullying?

Bullying is any behavior that makes you or others feel threatened or unsafe. These behaviors can include:

• Hitting
• Kicking
• Pushing
• Name calling
• Threats
• Teasing

If this is happening to you, talk to your parents, your teacher, or another adult you trust about what's going on. Adults can help stop the bullying. If the bullying doesn't stop, keep telling!

Besides talking to a grown-up, there are other things you can do to handle a bully at school. Here are some tips for dealing with bullies.

Want to help other kids at your school learn about psoriasis and about respecting differences?

• Our Kids Cards can help you teach your classmates about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis—hopefully it will help them be understanding!
• Your teachers and other school staff will be able to help you better if they know about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. These handouts are for them!

• StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on how kids, teens, young adults, parents, educators and others in the community can prevent or stop bullying.
• KidsHealth.org has information about bullying and lots of other stuff (staying healthy, games and recipes, information about diseases, and more).