How to Recognize And Understand Bullying

Written By Colēgia

One of the most difficult things that students may wind up experiencing in school is bullying. Bullying can be dangerous if left unchecked and can cause harm to many people. Today we want to understand how to both recognize and prevent bullying.

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Recognizing Bullying

Bullying can be defined as an action that “seeks to harm, intimidate, or coerce.” An example of this would be if someone is verbally intimidating you with a threat or by peer pressuring you into doing something that you are not okay with. It goes without saying that these scenarios are harmful as it can lead to dis-empowerment of the person being bullied. It can lead to a slew of negative consequences that can be lifelong such as social anxiety around peers, or having trouble expressing yourself. There are several ways to recognize when this is happening. The first is asking yourself how another person's actions make you feel. If they make you feel like you are robbed of your freedom of choice or threatened, there is a good chance that you may be dealing with a bully. Another way is observing the bully's actions towards others. Chances are you may not be the only one who is experiencing their anger. Ideally you want to have as much evidence as possible when it comes to understanding how the bully is acting. Not only will this help you prevent it in the future, but it will help you understand your own thoughts and emotions and that of others.

“ask yourself how another person's actions make you feel.”

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Taking Action

While some may recommend talking to the bully about how they are making you feel, that step is best done later in a safe environment with an adult present. The absolute first thing a student should do if they feel they or someone else is being bullied is to report it your teacher. The reason why this is helpful is that they can help take immediate action if the bullying is already taking place. It can also help get other members of the staff to help handle it depending on how serious it is. If it is a long standing problem between you and the bully, a school counselor is another way of handling this. A counselor can help give you the time and place to talk with them about any issues you may be facing with a bully. They can also bring the bully in so you can tell them how you feel without fear of repercussions. It is crucial to take action when dealing with a bully as if unchecked it can affect yourself and others.

“The absolute first thing a student should do if they feel they or someone else is being bullied is to report it your teacher.”

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Understanding And Empathy

Bullying is an extremely complex problem at its core and there can be many reasons why people resort to doing it. While this isn't an excuse for this kind of behavior, it is good to be mindful that the person doing the bullying may be struggling with something in their personal life. Empathy is an important quality to have as it can help you understand how the other person feels. When it comes to being bullied it is good to distance yourself from them so you can find a mental reprieve. Lastly, if you are the one doing the bullying, either consciously or subconsciously, remember that your actions do affect others and to be considerate and kind to those around you.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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