A Shield Against Bullying
In the United States, about 1 in 5 students ages 12-18 experienced bullying during the school year. The most common type of bullying is verbal harassment (79%), followed by social harassment (50 %) and physical bullying (29 %). Cyberbullying accounts for 25 % of bullying. It is a common mental health trigger for many children and teens. This research will focus on what it is, how to avoid becoming a target, and what to do if you have already become one.
Photo by Copper and Wild on Unsplash
I was never bullied in school. As a professional athlete, I was invited to birthday parties and enjoyed a close-knit group of classmates. However, I sometimes felt shame and anger over things my parents couldn’t afford, like school trips or the flip phones many showcased at recess. I also struggled with schoolwork due to traveling for tournaments. If I felt this way, sometimes hiding in the bathroom, it's painful to imagine what someone who experiences daily abuse must endure.
I've learned that people who go through difficult times, especially at a young age, can become stronger and more capable in the future. But this only happens if you can prioritize yourself and drown out the behavior of others that you often can not control.
WHAT IS BULLYING?
According to stopbullying.gov, bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems. 160,000 kids per day skip school for fear of being bullied. Bullying can lead to mental and physical harm, even suicidal thoughts or actions.
Bullying and cyberbullying are severe problems in the United States. The statistics below show just how prevalent bullying is.
According to a 2022 study by the Pew Research Center, about half of U.S. teens (53%) say online harassment and bullying are a major problem for people their age. According to the American SPCC, nearly 70.6% of young people say they have seen bullying in schools, and 70.4% of school staff have witnessed bullying as well.
To be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:
An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even involving the same people.
Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.
Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.
The New Era of Cyberbullying
In our social media era, the most considerable bullying occurs in the shadows of social media. The main targets are teenage girls.
While bullying existed long before the internet, the rise of smartphones and social media has brought a new and more public arena into play for this aggressive behavior.
The most commonly reported behavior in this survey is name-calling, with 32% of teens saying they have been called an offensive name online or on their cell phones. Smaller shares say they have had false rumors spread about them online (22%) or have been sent explicit images they didn’t ask for (17%).
With the rise of social media and digital platforms, the content we share—comments, photos, and posts—can be seen by both strangers and acquaintances. Cyberbullying has become a significant issue, impacting the online reputations of not only the victims but also the bullies and those who participate.
Cyberbullying poses unique challenges, including:
Persistence: Digital devices enable constant communication, 24/7, making it hard for those experiencing cyberbullying to escape it.
Permanence: Once something is posted online, removing it can be difficult. Negative information can remain public indefinitely, affecting future opportunities like college admissions and employment for the victim and the bully.
Invisibility: Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can be harder to detect. Teachers and parents may not overhear or see it happening, making it more challenging to recognize and address.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE BEING BULLIED?
‘’One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized, and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.’’
- Michael J. Fox
Being a target of any bullying can be terrifying. Someone else is posing power over you and not letting you be who you feel inside. The first thing to realize is,
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.
As I mentioned earlier, living through hardship makes you a stronger person. Use these experiences to better yourself. The bully will not have that chance for growth. It is not easy, but you can turn yourself into a warrior ready to take on the challenges in the game of life. How?
Different tactics work for different people. However, if you feel physically safe, you can try tackling it yourself. The more empowered you are and the more you can help yourself, the better your chance of stopping the bully. You should talk to a trusted adult if you feel overwhelmed or scared or the bully won’t stop. You should not feel alone in this!
How to develop your shield:
Take away their power.
Bullies thrive on the fear and desperation they get from their victims. It will end quicker if you can stay calm and even apply sarcasm or humor to their meaningless words. '
2. Leave them behind!
I mean this both physically and emotionally. You can walk away from a contentious situation and try to put it out of your mind. Your brain has better things to do, like building an excellent game plan for your goals, than worrying about some words of a person you will never see again after school.
3. Be a warrior.
Build an imaginary shield around yourself. Any time a bully approaches you or starts saying words, put the armor up. All those empty words will bounce against the armor and disappear.
4. Become someone!
The best shield is to build self-confidence. The best way to do that is to focus on implementing good daily habits to build a solid platform for your future and work on your physical appearance and health. In the atomic habits section of this website, you can learn how to play that game!
Online harassment and abuse are on the rise. According to Pew Research, nearly 95% of teens in the developed world have social media accounts. Please do not underestimate the power someone can have over you when they are hidden from plain sight behind a screen. Use these tips to protect yourself from others and still enjoy the good social media can have on our lives. School will end, and the people who use their time wisely will enjoy an extraordinary future. Who cares about a bully in school if you’re awesome!
