NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH

October is National Bullying Prevention Month.

What is bullying?

Bullying is a type of behavior that involves hurting, intimidating or dominating someone who has less power or is perceived as weaker.

Bullying can happen in many different ways, such as verbally, physically, socially or online.

There can be many reasons why people are bullied, such as sexual orientation, race and more.

Bullying does not just stop at one encounter; bullying is a repetitive act of aggression towards others.

Bullying is a widespread thing in the United States, affecting between 19% and 77% of people, according to various sources. The National Library of Medicine did a study on bullying.

They selected 1,025 students at a college. When completed, the study found that out of the 1,025 students, 4.2% had been bullied by teachers, and 24.7% of students

Story: Angel Hovis

had bullied other students.

Bullying is not only done by peers, as you can see.

Bullying can have longlasting effects on the victim. Physical injuries, social and emotional distress, self-harm and worse can be the result of bullying.

Bullying can also increase the risk of depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, a decrease in academic performance and suicidal thoughts.

This can also lead to an increased risk of substance abuse. Bullying doesn’t only affect the victim; it can also affect the perpetrator of the negative encounter and bystanders who witness the negative encounter— the bystander effect.

But there are ways to decrease bullying. A way that schools can decrease bullying is by communicating bullying policies at their school and the consequences if it happens.

Schools can also monitor spots where bullying may be occurring frequently. Teachers can help by modeling kindness, inclusivity and respect in their classrooms.

Giving students a positive environment can help protect them from bullying and other negative behaviors.

Parents and peers can help decrease bullying by being aware of the signs of bullying. These different signs can be unexplained injuries, missing items or a change in the student’s overall mood and performance at school.

Another way that parents and peers can help decrease bullying is by informing people about bullying.

Informing people about bullying can not only let them know what not to do but can also let them know if they ever encounter bullying or that they are experiencing bullying.

A third way that parents and peers can help decrease bullying is by helping the victim become more assertive. Building the person’s assertiveness can help them stand up against the bully. Parents and peers can also help decrease bullying by helping the victim find good coping strategies if the situation affects them.

Lastly, a way that parents and peers can help decrease bullying is by advocating for the person.

If the person ever does come into contact with bullying, let them know that they have someone there to talk to, whether that is just a parent or going further and seeking professional help.

People who experience bullying can help themselves by reaching out to a trusted adult to talk about the situation and get some support.

If they feel capable of it, they can stand up against the bully by themselves or with a support group. If they come into contact with cyberbullying, they can block the perpetrator, take screenshots and report them.

Being able to address and stop bullying can prevent other forms of violence. While bullying can be difficult to stop, it is important to try to lessen the problem by educating others on the issue, ways to stop it, and how to build