Bullying refers to harming, intimidating, or seeking to coerce someone. It is a significant vice that affects everyone involved, including the bully, the bullied, and the bystander. Especially young people are very prone to bullying and can be affected lifelong. That’s why targeting bullying where it’s most common is essential. October is celebrated as bullying prevention month, a joint initiative held since 2006 in which schools, clubs, businesses, and communities participate. But before we discuss strategies to make a more inclusive community, let us consider how bullying works.
Why Do Teenagers Start Bullying?
One significant factor is their upbringing. Growing up in an abusive childhood might make one more prone to bullying. Having unhealthy peer groups or playmates as children also increases the chance of developing the habit of bullying.
Further, doing so provides them an outlet for venting out stress, frustration, and uncontrolled aggression. It compensates for lower self-esteem by making them seem dominant in a way.
Bullying can indicate a lack of coping skills, impulse control, or an inability to tolerate distress. Kids who bully have violent behaviors that can carry into adulthood. They are likely to get into fights, vandalize property or drop out of school.
Read more: Increase mental health awareness in the workplace
How Are The Bullied Affected?
Kids who are bullied often drop out or regularly skip school. Doing so harms their grades and mental health. If already isolated from peers, their feelings of loneliness and isolation might intensify. Bullying increases the chances of depression or anxiety. The bullied might find themselves losing interest or motivation to do things they once used to enjoy. Or they might have a hard time sleeping or eating regularly.
Bystanders Play A Significant Role
Bystanders are an essential part of the bullying process. They accept bullying as it is or don’t try to fight it. This attitude is natural for anyone who doesn’t want to get involved. But even bystanders are likely to skip out on school. And many choose to distract themselves from the situation by unhealthy coping mechanisms like skipping school or using tobacco or drugs. Bystanders can also develop mental health problems if the bullying intensely impacts them.
How To Create A Community Based On Kindness?
You can find information about bullying prevention month 2022 on pacer.org. You can also find student activity kits to prevent bullying. Or you can participate in unity day, an event that includes many communities, institutions, and individuals coming together.
Start by wearing orange and spread awareness about bullying prevention month to inspire more people to join the cause.
Educators and social workers can take various steps to create an inclusive and understanding environment.
First and foremost step is student empowerment and encouraging students to speak out. Secondly, promoting healthy boundaries and a sense of self-esteem can restore dignity for the bullied.
And finally, developing more sensitive and understanding children who are connected to the community can help reduce bullying drastically.
Read more: Mental health websites for the youth
Conclusion
Bullying is an activity that negatively impacts clubs, schools, other institutions, and, most importantly, the student’s mental health. Even in the mental health community, the first step(reaching out) is the hardest but most essential to recovery.
Thankfully, many resources are available for students who have been bullied and suffer from mental health conditions. On that note, here is a list of the best mental health scholarships to help reduce their financial burdens.
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