Article: People who tease and insult others are insecure. Their bullying is often driven by fear, narcissism, and the need to control a situation. Picking on others makes them feel powerful. Recognizing that it’s about them, not you, will help you gain confidence in the situation. Making an effort to understand why a particular person is insulting or teasing you is key to coming up with a resolution to the situation.  Sometimes people tease you to make themselves feel better; other times they might do it because they don't understand you or the situation as well as they could, or they may be jealous of something you have done or achieved.  For example, the coworker who always insults your clothing may feel like you are getting more credit than you deserve from your boss.  In another example, your aggressor might be teasing you because they do not understand that your disability prevents you from fully participating in an activity. Keep in mind that some forms of teasing can be playful and are not meant to hurt your feelings. For example, a relative or close friend might tease you about something, such as a quirk that they find amusing about you. Avoiding your aggressor can help minimize the insults and/or teasing you are experiencing. While this is not always possible, come up with ways to minimize the time you must spend in the presence of the bully or avoid contact altogether.  If you are being teased while walking home from school, work with your parents to come up with a safe route home that will help you avoid being teased or insulted. If you are being teased or insulted online, consider deleting the bully from your social media networks or limiting the time you spend on certain applications. Sometimes teasing or insults are a direct violation of state or federal law. For example, if you have a co-worker who is sexually harassing you at work by commenting on your body, this is a violation of the law and must be reported immediately. If you are at school, you have a right to feel safe and to have a distraction-free environment to learn. If someone is teasing you in a way that makes you feel unsafe or distracts you from school (such as by making you not want to attend), you should talk to your parents or teacher about it.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Realize it’s not about you. Understand your aggressor’s motivation. Develop a plan to avoid the person or situation if possible. Determine if the teasing is a violation of the law.