Table of Contents
What is Bullying?
What is bullying? Bullying is when someone intentionally harms someone. Not just Physically, it can be Verbally also. It is Repetitive and Aggressive. You can get bullied for a number of reasons. Like being transgender, gay or lesbian, not having a lot of friends, looking different (Being short, really skinny, or being on the larger side), not being “cool” or “popular”. You can be bullied for just being different from someone else.
Sometimes people bully others as survival, so they don’t get bullied. People who bully sometimes bully certain targets, because they envy or are jealous of the person. Sometimes because it helps raise their Self-esteem to bully. They might lack attention at home, are Neglected, have divorced parents, have parents who do drugs, they have older siblings who bully them so they learn it at home. There are also a lot of different types of bullying.
Verbal Bullying
Verbal bullying consists of the bullyer talking face to face with the Victim or/and leaving mean, inappropriate, or rude notes for the victim. It sometimes includes teasing, name-calling, Sexual comments, taunting, or threatening. Most of the time they are just empty threats, meaning the bullyers don’t go through with them.
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Social Bullying
Social bullying is all about hurting relationships that the victims have with others, and hurting the victim’s Reputations. It sometimes includes leaving the victim out on purpose, telling others not to be friends with the victim, spreading rumors about the victim, or embarrassing them in public.
Physical Bullying
Physical bullying is when the bully purposely physically hurts the victim or breaks or damages the victims possessions. It includes hitting, kicking, punching, pinching, pushing, tripping, spitting at the victim. It can also include making rude hand gestures at the victim and taking and/or breaking the victims possessions. And again, the bully does it on purpose, not like if someone accidentally tripps you.
Cyber Bullying
Cyberbullying is when someone uses technology or social media to send threats or post/send mean or embarrassing messages. Cyber Bullying happens a lot because you can be Anonymous. And also because it is not face to face, so people think that they can just do anything, without hurting anyone. It spreads quick, so, soon everyone and anyone can see it and laugh at the victim. And it is not always directed at you, it could be directed at a friend or someone you know from school.
Bullying Children with Special Needs or Disabilities
Children or teens that have special needs or Disabilities get bullied more often because they are different, they might have diabetes, severe allergies, or they might be autistic. They are also a easy target for bullies. Some are physically Vulnerable, others might not understand what you are saying or doing. Some don’t have very good social skills. Like they might ask a lot of questions, or have a odd way of talking. These things that are different from the bully, make the bully think they are weird or that they are flaws. Sometimes they don’t understand that the bully is teasing them. If you consistently ask questions on why they look, act, speak, walk, or learn differently than others, you could be hurting them Emotionally. You might even, if you do that everyday, be bullying them too. So just think before you say.
Types of Bullies
Bullied bullies like to bully because it makes them feel better about themselves. Instead of feeling helpless, them feel powerful and strong. Social bullies have low-self esteem and are not very sure of themselves. So they gossip, spread rumors, and make the victim feel bad about themself. “Good” bullies like to plan their attacks, and seem likeable to everyone else. Or bully many people, and only seem likeable to teachers.
Kids and teens are affected by bullying all the time, and all over the world. Bullying can hurt the victim physically and/or emotionally. It is aggressive and repetitive. There are a lot of different types of bullying. Like cyber bullying, social bullying, and physically. People bully others for a lot of different reasons. Bullying is horrible, and it hurts so many.
The Effects of Bullying
I know what most schools teach about the effects of bullying. It is all “It makes people sad. And hurts their feelings”, or “Sometimes the victim does not want to go to school”. That is all true, but it is not all. Some effects can affect everyday life. Or are Long term. Some people are never the same again. And it doesn’t just affect the victim. It can affect the Bystander or Witness. It can affect the bullyer too.
Effects of Bullying on the Victim
Bullying can cause a complete change of a person. It can cause the loss of a friend. It can cause the victim to never recover from bullying. Ever. Bullying may cause Depression or Anxiety. It may cause more Frequent feelings of sadness and Loneliness. It can affect the victim body too. Like physical illness. Yes, bullying can hurt the body too. Different sleep and eating patterns. Health complaints. The victim might stop doing things they used to enjoy. Their grades might start to Decline, and they don’t participate in school activities anymore. Low self esteem. Sometimes even trying to commit Suicide, or just thinking about it. These are all things that affect victims of bullying.
Effects of Bullying on the Bullyer
When someone bullies, they do it for some reason. And they are troubled by that reason. This can follow them into Adulthood. They start taking drugs early in life. They can sell drugs Illegally. And abuse drugs as teens and adults. They can possibly participate in criminal activities. They can end up being Abusive to their husband or wife, children, or boyfriend or girlfriend. They can also start having early sexual activities. Or force another person to have sex with them.
Effects of Bullying on Wittnessers
Even the people watching bullying happen can have effects on them. They can be afraid to go to school. Have anxiety or depression. They can start to do drugs early in life. They can miss or skip school. They can also become a bully instead of the chance of being bullied.
Bullying doesn’t just affect the victim, it affects the bully and sometimes the people who see it happen. It can make kids or teens feel scared, sad, and alone. It can leave lasting problems, even all the way to adulthood. And all of these effects are not little things, they change a person, and their life.
Bullying Activists
Emily- Anne Rigal
Emily- Anne Rigal is a bullying activist. When she was in elementary school, she was bullied. She was bullied because she was on the heavier side. She was bullied so bad she had to switch schools. When she got into Middle School and High School, she made friends that were nice and supported her. She knew that everyday someone was being bullied. So instead of trying to forget her bullying experience, she decided to make a change. She became a bullying activist. She created a Non-profit Organization called WeStopHate. It posts on YouTube and social media. It is meant to raise kids and teens self-esteem. Her and her team of teens tell inspiring stories. She also wrote a book called Flawd. It is about, “How to stop hating yourself, others, and the things that make you who you are.” says Emily- Anne.
Alex Libby
Alex Libby was bullied because he looked different than his classmates. He was physically bullied and verbally bullied. Bullies called him a freak. They punched, strangled, and stabbed him with pencils. He starred in a documentary about his childhood. About his life. He wears a shirt that says “I stand for the silent”. He stands for the people that can’t speak up. The people who speak up. The people who feel they have no hope.
Lizzie Velasquez
Lizzie lived in Texas. She had been bullied her whole life. She was bullied because of a rare syndrome that kept her from gaining weight. She looked different than everybody else. When she was in high school, someone posted a video calling her the “World’s ugliest woman”. When she saw it she saw horrible comments. She saw it had been watched four million times. But she decided to not let those horrible comments, the people who called her a monster, define her. She is now a motivational speaker. She says that she is very happy now. Lizzie believes two things very deeply, “That we’ve all been put into this world for a specific purpose, and that I can’t expect anyone else to love me the way I want to be loved unless I love myself first.”. Lizzie’s positivity and happiness is what helps her be such a great activist.
Aija Mayrock
Ajia had been bullied since third grade. When she was in high school, someone sent her a picture of someone she didn’t know dressed up like her. It went viral. The person dressed up like her wore dirty, baggy clothes and made the person look big. The person wore a sign around their neck that said Aija’s name. She was depressed. Aija finally took the bullying in stride, and tried to herself back up again. But the news carried so much report of teens committing suicide. She was mad that they felt they had no hope. That bullying might pushed them to do this. Aija wanted someone to help them. She wanted to help them. So when she was 16 she wrote a book called “The Survival Guide to Bullying”. She published it, then Scolastica found it, and printed it for her. Now you can find it in stores all over the world.
Molly Burke
Molly Burke was a normal kid. She wasn’t bullied. Not for the first few years of school. Molly had always had something wrong with her eyes. She could not see well in dark, she ran into things, she would grab for things and miss. Molly had a eye disease and would go blind eventually. She wanted to be like the other kids, she refused to learn Braille, she still tried to do things, like she was very good at skiing. When she found out she would be blind very soon, she called her friends. They gave her no sympathy. Molly then got a cane. People at her school, students and teachers, thought she was faking it. They thought that she was to good at getting around. She knew when she passed a tree. She turned to look at you when you speak to her. In eighth grade she went on a overnight school trip. Molly was placed with her old friends who now bullied her. They put whipped cream in hair, telling her it was hair product. Instead of makeup they wrote on her face. They made her sleep under a desk. After that she went to classes to get a guide dog. She was the only one of her class to pass, she named her dog Gypsy.
After a while she fell down a staircase and broke her foot. She got crutches and could not use Gypsy. Her classmates had to help her get around. When it was her old friends turn, they took her outside, sat her down near the woods, then stole her crutches and broke them. Molly called her mom who quickly came to pick her up. Molly decided to never go back to that school. She started cutting herself and searching up “how to kill yourself”. Her parents then took away all sharp things, pills, or things that could be used to strangle herself. In ninth grade she switched to a school for the blind. She found that she was very passionate for music. She wrote song lyrics. But then she was bullied again. She printed out all the hurtful posts about her, and went to the principle. Together they stopped the bullying at the roots. In eleventh grade, she switched back to school for the sighted. Molly graduated and went to college. She then went on a youth trip to Kenya, with the Me to We organization, to help build a school. When she was visiting she spoke at a local girls school. Now she speaks publicly to anyone all the time. She wants to stop bullying and wants to change the way people act towards others.
These people are making a difference. They speak out against bullying. They tell their stories. They do amazing things, like write books, create organizations, and speak publicly all the time to huge crowds, and starr in documentaries. They do this all because of Passion! These people carry messages of hope to those who need it most. You don’t have to bullied to become a activist. You just have to be Fueled by passion. And want to really truly want to make a difference.
What You Can Do About Bullying
You are probably thinking, “Well, all I can do is not be a bully.”. That is true. But it is not even half of all the things you can do. People every day are bullied. It might not be you who is being bullied, or might be. You might not think you are bullying sometimes, but sometimes you are. We could all be bullies, but some people make a change and be nice to the person who is being bullied. Let me tell you how to help this never ending chain of bullying.
What to do if you are being bullied
What should you do to stop someone from bullying you? If it is physical, verbal, or cyber bullying, then you should tell someone you trust. It does not have to be an adult ethier. It can be just a friend. It definitely helps to get it off your chest. Also the person that you tell will probably try to help stop the bullying. If the bullying is physical then you should stay by teachers (which sometimes makes the bullying worse). But friends who will stand up for you, will make it a lot better. If you alone, DO NOT fight back. Run to a teacher, or if you are outside of school, a public place or home. If it is verbal, try to laugh it off, or make a (non-rude) joke about it. Ignoring it will sometimes make the bullying worse. If you are being cyber bullied, then get offline. Don’t try to look at the mean posts or anything like that. Or tell someone. Are you hearing the most repeated strategy? Tell someone! It is the best thing you can do.
