The Anti-Bullying Movement

The Anti-Bullying Movement

Bullying has been a constant issue in the world for decades. According to Do Something, over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying every year. Bullying can occur in many different ways, from how you dress, your weight or height to even your hair color or skin color. Additionally, Do Something notes that physical bullying increases in elementary school, peaks in middle school and decreases in high school. Verbal bullying, however, remains constant.

Bullying can also take place among adults. According to Shape, a 2012 survey of workers showed that 65 % of American participants had been bullied at their jobs, along with being bullied online and in social circles. Bullying, whether done towards an adult or a child,  isn’t just focused on physical appearance, however, as victims can be bullied or harassed for other things including hobbies they enjoy, learning disabilities, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, political beliefs, their name, how they walk or talk etc.

Fortunately, there are charities and non-profit organizations that speak out against bullying, including Be a STAR which involves bringing WWE Superstars such as Alicia Fox, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Summer Rae, Renee Young, Dolph Ziggler and more to local schools all across the United States of America to speak to students on how to prevent and put an end to bullying. While this is a positive factor in promoting anti-bullying, everyone can step up to do their part in putting a stop to bullying, both in and out of classrooms, workplaces and other environments where bullying and harassment can and may occur.

First, someone being bullied or harassed can increase personal safety, security and privacy measures online to help prevent cyber bullying and harassment from continuing to occur. According to STOMP Out Bullying, 21% of children have received cruel or hurtful messages including threats while online. By changing privacy, safety and security settings on social media websites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, victims can prevent interaction with bullies. Additionally, if someone is bullying or harassing you online, please report them, block them and contact someone you can trust such as a parent or legal guardian to inform them of the situation so that they can help you to decide which further actions to take, such as informing local authorities, your school principal, university president or workplace supervisor if necessary.

If you are not being bullied or harassed but someone close to you such as a friend, family member, fellow co-worker or classmate has confided in you about being bullied or harassed, please be supportive of them. They trust you enough to be able to tell you about this so please listen to them and take their concern about them being bullied or harassed very seriously. Talk to them and offer them advice on how to positively remedy the situation.

Another way we can prevent bullying is by speaking out when we see someone bullied or know if someone is being a bully. Sometimes a bully may not realize or understand how serious the consequences of their bullying can be. Additionally, depending on their age, a bully may not even comprehend that what they are doing is considered bullying and that what they are doing is both wrong and hurtful.

By informing a bully of their inappropriate behavior, we can help teach both them and others that it is better to practice kindness, tolerance, understanding and compassion for others. We can teach them and others to compliment, respect and accept someone rather than judge, disrespect and criticize them. By enforcing the message that bullying is unacceptable behavior, we can make schools a safer learning environment for students, make workplaces a safer environment for employees and make the world a more positive, loving and safer place for everyone.