With October being dedicated to anti-bullying, the news, lately, has covered a lot of instances dealing with bullying.
With the viral video of Jennifer Livingston and the recent death of Amanda Todd, bullying is a major concern for everyone.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the definition of a bully is “a blustering browbeating person; especially: one habitually cruel to others who are weaker.”
There are many different types of bullying such as cyber bullying, emotional bullying and corporate bullying, just to name a few.
When it comes to cyber bullying, the technological advances in today’s world have posed a serious threat to everyone who is on the web. It is a lot easier for people to be mean through a keyboard than it is for them to be mean face to face.
When most people think of bullying, we all picture a school setting, but what a lot of people don’t think about is that bullying happens to everyone, including adults.
Corporate bullying happens every day at some businesses. Workers talk about other workers, and they don’t realize that it affects others around them. People talk, things get around, and people get hurt. Adults have feelings, too.
We all need to be aware of the way we treat others on a daily basis. We never know when someone is having a bad day and what they are going through outside of the realm of how we know them.
Sometimes a smile may seem like a small gesture that doesn’t really make a big difference, but it could mean the world to one person.
Also, we should be aware of our surroundings. People are always going to talk about other people. That is a fact of human nature. But be sure that what you are saying isn’t going to hurt anyone around you. When we talk in groups of people, and there are many strangers all around, we don’t know if the things we are talking about affect people who may just be standing around us.
Bullying is not just words. When we bully people by calling them names and criticizing their appearances, the teasing can break a barrier that can harm someone emotionally.
These barriers are created over time because people have either seen or have been through experiences that have caused a separation of heart and mind. This separation can then cause problems later on in development.
When a hurtful saying or negative gesture breaks the barriers, the emotional damage it causes can lead someone to inflict self-harm.
When a person harms themselves due to another person’s words, it is sometimes seen as weak or “asking for attention.” This, however, is not always true. When people do not get the resources they need, harming themselves seems like the only way to stop the torture.
The National Association of School Psychologists says that 25 percent of teachers see nothing wrong with bullying or putdowns and consequently intervene in only four percent of bullying incidents.
If people were made aware of the resources they have and actually have the support from those resources, they might not feel like the only way out is death.
Therapy can help someone with the emotional scars. Having a person there to listen to the problems and give healthy ways to deal with it can be the light at the end of the tunnel.
Therapy is not an overnight cure, but it does make a difference in the long run. Also, a professional can help find a healthy activity to partake in which can help transfer the anger and hurt into a positive light.
There are also groups victims can attend to gain support from others that are in the same situation.
Although some bullying is not physical and may not leave a mark, the emotional wounds it causes can sometimes take the longest to heal.
The National Association of School Psychologists states that bullying is an unacceptable anti-social behavior that is learned through influences in the environment but can be unlearned and, better yet, prevented.
Bullying is never okay. You should think before you act. A sly comment or inappropriate gesture can stay with someone forever. The things you say now to a classmate or friend can have lasting and long-term affects.
