Bullying
We can stop bullying
- Bullying is a big problem among America's youths; both males and females.
- Bullying is wrong and illegal. It is a violation of the laws of decency and a tremendous disrespect of human dignity and personality. It violates the rights of individual protected by the constitution.
- Schools should have a clear definition of bullying and very strict guidelines about it and swift and sure consequences to deal with it. The definition used in this website's addressing of bullying is, Bullying is harassing, taunting, bluffing, threatening, and exhibiting any speech or behavior toward another person who is threatened by that behavior, especially if you have a physical, authoritative or emotional advantage over him/her. It is bothering somebody who is not your equal. Bullying can be done as an individual or as a group.
- We can stop bullying by making the penalties for it so severe that no reasonable person would risk facing those consequences, or we can educate and sensitize our society to a degree of civility that they would be ashamed to participate in such barbaric and hurtful behavior. Every institution that works with young people should have both methods in place simultaneously.
What to do when bullying occurs
- When bullying occurs everybody should stand up for the victim of bullying. When a person bullies anyone in your presence he is bullying everyone in that presence, and daring anyone to come to the aid of the victim. He is saying, "I can do whatever I want to this person and no one cans stop me, and furthermore, "you onlookers must agree with me or be afraid of me.
- A group can stop bullying by forming a circle around the bullied. Students who see another child being bullied can form a circle around the child. The circle says to the one being bullied, " We have formed a circle of protection around you. It says to the bully, “If you want to get to this person you will have to come through the rest of us.”
- Bullying can only take place in a community of cowards; in order for bullying to thrive the community must look the other way.
- Persons are usually led to bullying step by step, or idea by idea. Listed below are some of these ideas. Whenever adults hear a child expressing these ideas, they should start intervening; if not, bullying could very well follow.
- 1. I have a right to set the rules of this place. I am bigger. I have more money. My sexual preference is more desirable. I am smarter. I am a better athlete. I dress better. I look better. I am more liked than you are.
- 2. Most people think as I do about me, and agree with me in my thoughts about others.
- 3. No one else has anything to do with what I do to someone else, as long as I'm not bothering them.
Adults should always be in charge
It is the responsibility of adults to set the tone and culture of the space of which they are in charge. Adults should be in charge, and wherever there are children, there should be an adult in charge of them, making and enforcing the rules. The rules on bullying should be clear, strict, fair, and enforceable. There should never be any doubt as to who is in charge in a space and whose rules reign. Whenever there is doubt, that is the crack through which bullying and other unacceptable behaviors can creep. Bullying is almost always a failure of adult supervision, or adult teachings.