Bullying is an issue in many schools, whether it’s physical contact, the words, or judging you based on your point of view. But why do we resort to bullying when we barely know someone?
According to a source at Mclean hospital, one out of five students between the ages of twelve and eighteen has experienced bullying at some point. Bullying can affect different students in different ways, not only hurt their feelings but can have serious consequences. Students who are bullied at schools are more likely to develop depression. The most common signs of depression include sleep problems, appetite changes, emotional disturbances, and even thoughts of suicide.
Anxiety also plays a big part in how we react to bullying. Students who have been bullied fear them at every turn. Anxiety makes it harder to develop relationships with friends, peers, and teachers.
“The bullies bully others because they’re sad and take their anger out on someone else”. This makes students who will also have a lack of confidence makes it harder for them to believe in themselves or what they enjoy, along with affecting all areas of life.
“Bullies throw their insecurities out there and make people feel bad about themselves,” said Freshmen Mikayla Spencer. Some adults say that “it’s just part of growing up.” Although bullying is sometimes seen as “kids being kids” it can cause long-lasting harm to the youth who are targeted. Depression and isolation play a giant part of the affects it has on others. Depression can happen to anyone at any time it can even affect someone their entire life. When these events occur it’s not only bad but harmful.
These events may occur in hallways, cafeterias, and at recess or anywhere where adult super vision is lower, but it can also happen in class rooms where adult super vision setting is in place. Bullying happens to victims such as people with a physical, invisible disability or someone who thinks differently and has a different point of view, but truthfully anyone and everyone can get bullied.
Even though bullying is a common issue in schools, we also don’t know what the bully is thinking and how they are affected by bullying others. It could cause them sadness and make them feel bad about themselves as well. Why do we experience bullying? Freshman Taeja Granger said, “because kids want to bully other kids and put them in shame.”
You also never know how the bullies feel in these situations. It could cause them anxiety and depression too.
Kids who have been bullied for a long time not only experience anxiety and depression but they also isolate themselves from their peers, classmates, family, and friends. They isolate themselves so much that they stay in their rooms and also may not want to go to school because of that bully causing them to be more isolated.
It is not only common for the victim to feel this way but also the bully as well. Kids or teens who bully others have a greater risk of getting into physical fights, and are less likely to take responsibility for their actions, because they might think they need a sense of control of some sort and just want to get that control through bullying others.
They are also at risk of building bad behaviors. These include academic problems, substance use disorders, and aggressive behaviors to others. People can turn into bullies and just want to get rid of the pain, causing them to have these behaviors. Freshman Taeja Granger said. “because they could be going through a lot of stuff at home and can’t find help at school.” People want to get revenge and make people feel mad because of what they did to them, wanting the attention or just wanting to get rid of the hatred they have bottled up inside.
Bullying can come in all shapes and sizes, it can even come through technology. Twenty to thirty percent of kids or teens have been cyberbullied at their school.
Cyberbullying is any type of bully that takes place in the digital world. Although students understand how to use their devices it can still cause harm or damage to a child or teens way of thinking when cyberbullied.
Although there are benefits to a child’s academic growth by using technology there becomes an increased risk of being cyberbullied, it also makes them more vulnerable to it. Being cyberbullied can also have different effects on society. Another recent development is that not only kids and teens but also young adults who experience cyberbullying are more than twice likely to harm themselves and display suicidal behavior.
As the internet grows, not only can you talk to one another online but it is almost impossible to escape your bully. Some ways to report or prevent being bullied whether physical or online are to report it if seen or had any sort of interactions with the bully or the victim, keep your emotions in check if you give the bully what they want it will become harder to escape them, and finally don’t blame the victim who is being bullied, and report if you or a friend have been cyberbullied.
Victim or bully, bullying is never an option and unfortunately it is an issue in many different schools. We are the ones who choose to stop it or not.
