In October, the world places its focus on bullying; the act of continuously hurting someone physically, or mentally, to establish a sort of superiority.
There are many kinds of bullying, some are obvious while others go unnoticed, leaving many adolescents vulnerable and unable to feel validated enough to go and reach out to an adult or close friend who will then contact someone of authority, with the ability to stop the bullying.
Bullying is heavily prominent in schools seeing as it is filled with young people trying to figure out who they are. This leads to many insecurities that project on their treatment of peers, cultivating a vicious cycle. There are many categories of bullying such as verbal, physical, and even cyber.
According to Kathy Gregg, a college counselor, at Meridian World School, when asked about how high school bullying may affect someone in their transition to college, “I think that bullying affects someone’s self-concept.”
She further shared, “20-25% of college students still report social bullying but online bullying is not as high.” Bullying is not a concept to be ignored once someone goes to college.
Physical bullying is exactly as it sounds, it is when one person intentionally physically harms another for their benefit whether that be to threaten, scare, or take something from that person.
Verbal bullying is speaking in a patronizing manner that brings them down and lifts the bully up.
Cyberbullying is harassment digitally such as through a phone or computer. This is easier for people to do because they can hide behind a screen and often feel more safe from getting caught.
Jennifer Radebaugh, a teacher at Meridian World School, was asked about how she thinks we can prevent bullying in schools. She shared “Online bullying [is more common] because it is so readily available and that’s like this generation’s second language and so I think if we could not use it, that would help.”
To understand the problem, we must identify the roots of the problem and what we, as a society, can do to help. Ultimately the root of the worldwide bullying problem is judgment and stereotypes.
As technology has advanced, so has the media. Oftentimes, the media is what shapes young minds to accept and judge certain actions.
When children do not have access to technology or social media, they do not grasp social cues that other children with phones do. This goes along with new trends in fashion, music, and more. This creates a toxic environment in schools because those with the media feel inclined to judge those who don’t pick up those trends since they aren’t “relevant” or “informed” enough.
This ties back to bullying because this lack of understanding creates what many young people view as a “justification” for teasing someone. If someone does not understand trends, they are seen as disconnected but less knowledgeable, when the opposite is true; they’re focused on their opinions rather than being told how to think.
To diminish this, we must cultivate social media to be a platform of positivity and acceptance.
As a society, we must spread awareness about bullying and call it out if we see it. For example, if you see someone outnumbered by people verbally or physically bullied, stand up for the person and point out how wrong bullying is.
Then, get a trusted adult to handle the situation. If you are being bullied, find someone you trust, explain the situation, and ask them to find a solution so you can avoid confrontation and an extension of the problem.
All in all, bullying needs to be taken seriously and recognized as a very harmful challenge that we face as a world. To decrease the possibility of participating in bullying, simply T.H.I.N.K. Are the words you are saying True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind? If not, you should rethink and support those experiencing bullying.
