Have you ever been bullied? If you have been, then you should know how it feels like to be bullied. Bullying has been a major social problem for ages. It is like an epidemic that is wide-spread and can have disastrous results. The rate of bullying has been increasing tremendously.
According to some bullying statistics,
- School bullying has increased by 35% in a few years (2016 – 2019).
- Bullying is experienced by almost one-third of the youth globally.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY BULLYING?
What is bullying? Bullying is considered intentional behaviour that leads to physical and psychological damages. This form of ill-treatment is done by a deliberate misuse of perceived or real power and unwanted aggressive actions used to control others. Bullying can be verbal, physical, or through the use of technologies, occurring more than once or having the potential of more than one occurrence.
TYPES OF BULLYING:
Bullying often refers to when someone makes you feel less of a person. People bully others individually as well as in groups. Bullying involves hurting others verbally, physically, or emotionally. Types of bullying include:
Social/Relational bullying:
Social bullying is the second leading type of bullying and is also referred to as relational bullying, which involves humiliating and hurting others emotionally and socially. It is the form of bullying that is the hardest to recognize as it is done behind one’s back. It involves;
- Spreading fake rumors and gossips
- Turning people against someone
- Damaging someone’s social reputation
- Excluding someone socially
- According to bullying statistics, 56% of young people have suffered social bullying, and 51% of people had false rumors spread about them.
School bullying (bullying of students):
School bullying is one of the most common types of bullying that has been happening for ages. Bullying not only occurs in teens, but it is also seen in students of kindergarten. In schools, it mostly occurs in the form of a group, isolating the victim and hurting them physically and psychologically. School bullying is most common in American schools.
Ragging can also be taken as High-school bullying where seniors in High-Schools and universities bully newcomers by asking them to complete different tasks and hurting them if they refuse to do so, which lowers their self-esteem and confidence.
- According to bullying statistics, 160,000 students skip school daily as they are afraid of being bullied.
- According to the National Centre for Educational Statistics- 2019, one out of every five students (20.2%) complains about being bullied at school.
Hence, in order for students to get a quality education, they should first feel safe at schools.
Disability bullying:
Individuals with special needs are at higher risk of getting bullied. They are abused physically, financially, sexually, and psychologically for being special and different from others, and this action is cited as a hate crime. Disability bullying is not limited only to people who are physically disabled but also to those who face learning difficulties, including those with Autism or Down syndrome.
- According to surveys, students with disabilities are subject to a higher rate of bullying than other fellows without disabilities, and the bullying remains constant over time.
More than 22% of disabled students had complained about being bullied in 2016, which represents a significant portion of disabled children.
Cyber bullying:
Cyberbullying has become one of the most common forms of bullying that is rising day by day and often goes undetected due to lack of supervision. Cyberbullying uses technology to target others. Cyberbullying is experienced by all age groups worldwide. It falls under cyber-harassment or cyberstalking when an adult is being cyberbullied, which is considered a crime, having legal consequences. It can occur 24/7 and includes harassing, spreading rumors, and threatening others through:
- Social media(Facebook)
- Text messages
- Instant messaging
- Online gaming
- Chat room bullying
- Video clip/picture bullying
It also includes any other apps that enable people to view, participate, and share content.
- According to bullying statistics, the percentage of individuals being cyberbullied has doubled (18% to 37%) from 2007-2019.
LGBT teens are subjected to harassment and intense bullying on a daily basis in schools and workplaces, which is also considered a hate crime. LGBT youth are twice likely to be called names, mentally and verbally harassed and physically assaulted for being gay or transgender.
- According to bullying statistics, 70.1% of LGBT youth are verbally bullied because of sexual preferences, 53.2% based on gender, and 59.1% due to gender orientation.
According to surveys, 65% of bisexual people are subject to homophobic bullying, and 55.2% of LGBT are victims of cyberbullying.
Sexual bullying has been a severe issue in our society that needs to be addressed. It can happen anywhere like schools, workplaces, or even online and is also cited as a hate crime. It occurs when sexuality or gender is used against any individual. It includes;
- Unwelcomed looks and comments about one’s appearance.
- Inappropriate touching without one’s consent.
- Inappropriate and persistent sexual hinting.
- In the most extreme case, sexual assault or rape.
According to surveys, 45% of teenage girls have sexually harassed, and 38% of young people have received sexual images.
Parental bullying:
Parents who are often dominant and have a sense of insecurity tend to take out their anger on the children and excessively control them, which is considered parental bullying. Parental bullying works by making the bully feel superior, which, in return, causes mental and emotional damages to the children, and children start to think ill about themselves.
WHY DOES BULLYING HAPPEN?
When an individual or group of individual want to boost their self-esteem or have a sense of superiority over others, they tend to make others feel inferior and bully them and venting out their anger or showing their power over them by trying to control them. People under the bad influence tend to grow up very violent. Why do people bully others? Other reasons include;
- For seeking the attention of people.
- To impress and gain popularity among people.
- Due to discontent and jealousy towards others.
- Have been bullied by someone else.
- According to bullying statistics, 30% of people admit to bullying others, and 69% admit to bullying others online.
Many factors lead to bullying, and it can happen anywhere anytime. So why do people get bullied? The factors include:
- lack of social skills
- Social problems
- Belonging to a negative family or environment
- Being rejected or isolated by peers.
- Perceived as different or special from others (physically or mentally disabled)
- Belonging to a minor community or different caste or family background
- Less popular and do not get along with other people
- Mentally and emotionally weak, depressed and have low self-confidence
- Low socioeconomic status and immigrant youth in wealthy countries
BYSTANDERS WITNESSING BULLYING:
Bullying often takes place in the presence of a large group of bystanders. When bystanders do nothing to prevent the bullying, they are indirectly supporting the bullies. Some bystanders give indirect approval to the bullies by laughing along and encouraging them. At the same time, some bystanders step in to help the victim by informing an adult or offering support to the victim.
According to different surveys, teachers play an important role in indirectly supporting the bullies whenever a victim complains about being bullied. They ask the students to solve their problem themselves or tell them that it wouldn’t have happened if they acted differently or by completing ignoring whatever is happening.
According to bullying statistics;
- 6% of people have admitted to having witnessed bullying their school.
- It is observed that when a bystander interferes, bullying is stopped within 10 seconds, 57% of the times.
So bystanders can either help the victims by being a part of the solution and speaking out for them or supporting the bullies by staying silent and being a part of the problem.
HOW DOES BULLYING AFFECT PEOPLE?
Bullying is not a childish play; it can lead to extreme violence and have disastrous results. Not only are victims affected, but bystanders are also traumatized when they witness others being bullying. They get a feeling of helplessness and insecurity. Bullying affects both the mental and physical health of the victims, and they tend to isolate themselves after getting bullied. The effects on victims can be far more severe than just ‘feeling bad about themselves’ which can last throughout their adulthood; it includes;
- Individuals can feel disconnected from others and be socially withdrawn.
- It can have a severe impact on the mental and physical health, and the victims may fall into deep depression and anxiety, which may persist through a lifetime.
- It can result in poor academic achievements as they are afraid to attend their schools and cannot focus on their studies.
- Youth may indulge in risky activities like drug consumption to overcome the pain of being bullied.
- Bullies can grow up to be abusive and have criminal convictions as an adult.
- Students get dropped out of schools in fear of getting bullied again.
- Victims can grow up to be abusive and controlling towards their partners and families due to the bullying they have faced in their youth.
- Long term bullying can result in nightmares, low self-esteem, severe depression, and anxiety, which give rise to suicidal thoughts.
- In extreme cases, bullying can result in self-harm or suicide as an alternative for the pain they are going through physically and psychologically.
- According to surveys, bully-victims are twice to 9 times more prone to consider committing suicide.
- According to statistics, suicide has become the third most common cause of death among teens, following in “4,400” annual deaths. About 14% of high-school teens have considered committing suicide, while 7% have actually done it.
FACTS ABOUT BULLYING:
Here some more bullying-related facts are listed:
- “282,000” students are physically assaulted every month throughout the United States, and the number is increasing day by day.
- Statistics show that school shooting is linked with revenge for being bullied.
- Over 10% of students drop out of school due to the fear of getting bullied again.
- 64% of the students are afraid to report about them being bullying.
- Those being cyberbullied are more likely to bullied offline.
- Youth who have complained about being bullied in schools include 7% Asian, 16% Hispanic, and a larger ratio (23%) of African-American and Caucasian students.
The American Justice Department bullying statistics reveal that one out of every 4 individuals will be bullied sometime throughout their youth.
PREVENTION OF BULLYING:
Bullying is about control, not about resolving any conflict. There are no proper federal anti-bullying laws or regulations developed yet. But the local government of some countries has taken steps to control and prevent bullying and passed anti-bullying legislation. Appropriate measures should also be taken on the individual level to prevent bullying. Bystanders’ support can make a real difference; they can play a critical role in preventing bullying by standing up against it whenever they witness someone getting bullied. Effective methods for prevention of bullying include;
- Proper anti-bullying campaigns to educate and raise awareness against bullying.
- Learn to listen and understand before judging anyone
- Teach kids and students to treat others with respect and kindness as children learn from their surroundings.
- Most important of all, help children understand what bullying really is and how to help others.
- Encourage students to speak up against bullying and inform their parents or adults if they experience any kind of bullying.
- Schools should implement anti-bullying policies.
- Help to develop youth’s social, emotional, problem-solving, and communication skills.
- There should be proper supervision of students at schools and in their personal lives.
- Encourage youth who are special or different from others to take part in social activities.
There is a wide-spread amount of bullying nowadays, so it is more important than ever for parents and teachers to educate their children about bullying and teach them how to stand up against it. Everyone should be encouraged to speak up against bullying to a trusted adult. It is the best way to prevent the situation from getting worse.
TIPS TO OVERCOME BULLYING:
Dealing with bullying can be really hard so here are a few tips to help you overcome it;
- Make real friends by trusting your instincts, friends who support and care for you.
- Ask help from your parents, adults, and family members. Do not feel ashamed or afraid, while asking for help from others or your loved ones.
- Be kind and confident. Do not let small actions like bullying to take over the real you and just be yourself.
Get involved in different social activities to improve your social skills and interact with a larger circle of people.
