Article One: Bullying, Being a Bystander, and Stopping It
When you walk into your school, do you see bullying? Are you being bullied? Or could you be a bully?
Bullying is an act of repeated aggressive behavior in order to intentionally hurt another person, physically or mentally.
That definition sums it up. One thing though. Bullying isn't an accident, but sometimes kids and teens don't realize they are hurting another. They believe it's funny, or a joke, or whatever. But that poor victim doesn't feel that way.
So, what do you do?
If You See Bullying: Don't let it go. Stand up for the victim. If you don't do anything, if you just walk by or even laugh/ grin, that is being a bystander. You are encouraging the bully, showing the bully that it is OK. This is just as bad as bullying. Reach out to the victim. Exchange phone numbers, invite him/ her to sit with you at lunch, ask the victim questions about herself/ himself. If the bullying doesn't stop, go to an adult. A teacher you like, your parents, the principal. Whoever. It isn't tattling. Tattling is telling on someone to purposely get that someone in trouble, which is malicious. When you tell an adult, you may be saving a kid or teen from terrible bullying and injuries, whether mental or physical.
If You Are Being Bullied: You can try to ignore it, but that almost never works. Stand up for yourself. Ask some friends to help you. If they refuse, they aren't real friends. Tell the bully that the bullying hurts. If nothing works, tell an adult, teacher, parent, or school worker. They will sort it out, and they won't let it continue. Bullying is wrong. You need to stop it. For yourself, and the other victims.
If You Are A Bully: Stop. Stop right now, and think about what you are doing. You are hurting another human being. If you find yourself continuing to bully, go to the counselor and tell him/ her. Schedule an appointment. Tell the counselor that you can't seem to stop. Ask her/ him for advice. Parents, a trusted teacher, or a close adult friend works as well. You need to stop As Soon As Possible.
But maybe you don't see bullying at your school. You can still help stop it. Dosomething.org is an amazing site with ideas of what you can do to prevent bullying. If you don't act now, consequences will be hard. Bullying has taken the lives of kids and teens. Their suicide proved we need to stop bullying. Now.
