Life is better without bullying.

It’s not kept in secret that bullying is one of the gravest issues that give nuisance to schools all over the globe. Parents are having a hard time when their children are involved because of the negative effects that it has. From the youngest grade levels to the eldest university ranks, this serious matter may be present. It’s a total headache and heartache at the same time. Indeed, how exhausting it is to hear that everyone knows that bullying is a wrongful act, but many students still find it fine and fun. 

Simple teasing among friends and classmates are, in a way, understandable because oftentimes, that’s part of your friendship and closeness. As long as no one is getting hurt or harmed, you can consider it that way. The thing is that you will know when it’s mere teasing and when it’s already bullying. 

Bullying comes in many types, and to name some are the following: Physical bullying is associated with hitting, punching, tripping, using disrespectful gestures, stealing personal items and other actions inflicting bodily pains, injuries and losses. Verbal bullying includes insults, offensive jokes, wounding comments, threats and other inappropriate remarks with the use of words. Social bullying involves humiliating someone, spreading false information, excluding someone from the group and other acts that lead to reputations and relationships being wrecked. There are many more indications of bullying, and they happen habitually. All of them are displeasing and troublesome. 

Know that bullying is a no-no. Even more when it is aggressive, it has awful effects on overall health. It must not be tolerated. Are you bullied in school? Here are 5 things that you must always remember!

1 – YOU ARE NOT LESS THAN ANYONE.

How you look at yourself can be influenced by how others look at you. Negatively, that’s what happens to victims of bullying. The weapons of bullies are the degrading words, intimidating statements and mean terms that aim to make someone feel inferior.

Bullies manipulate to control their victims. They can be the mean squads in school that lead the whole class to make fun of a particular student in the room. They can be the rude seniors who frighten juniors, so their requests can be granted by them. They can be students aged the same with someone they just like frequently embarrassing in front of others. 

If you are a victim of bullying, you are fully aware of the belittlement that bullies make one experience. Keep in mind that you are NOT less than anyone. Even compared to older students, you are not supposed to think lowly of yourself. They may be ahead of your age, but that does not make you mediocre. Even paralleled with richer kids, you are not meant to feel that you are below them. They may be above your financial footing, but that does not make you worthless. 

Wealth, position, status and reputation do not equate to a person’s value! Bear in mind that someone who is kind-hearted and good-natured is a thousand times more decent than someone who can afford closets of expensive clothes but not a single priceless humaneness. 

2 – YOU ARE APPRECIATED BY SOMEBODY. 

Because you are bullied, you might feel that everyone is the same. You might have the notion that wherever you go, there will always be someone who’s going to dishearten you. As bullying devastates one’s confidence and mars a good self image, you might be having a hard time to learn who you are and to show the beauty you possess. 

With the lack of self-acceptance, the next thing is the belief that you have no one. Especially when you are not open to your family about the bullying issue, you will surely have it hard.  

Remember that somebody appreciates you. There’s a friend whom you can count on — that person who can laugh with you and at you without hurting your feelings. You have a classmate who sits far behind you and sees you’re doing great. Loving teachers are giving you a thumbs up because they witness your progress. Somewhere out there is someone who dearly cares!

And maybe you are reluctant to talk to your parents about being bullied in school. A lot of kids are afraid that they will not be heard and listened to. Many are scared that they will be shooed away and told that “It’s okay. Just don’t mind them”. But realize that if there’s someone who’s by your side in every season of life, it’s your parents, or the people you consider parents at least. 

Even when every friend leaves, parents will never. They may have a short temper at times, but you can always reach out to them. They value you, being their greatest treasure. Parents’ love is one of the things that make life worth living.

3 – YOU DON’T DESERVE TO SUFFER.

Bullying makes the victims suffer in many ways different but similarly ruinous. 

There are bullied students who no longer want to attend school because of the horrible behavior shown towards them. It’s a suffering to be in a place where you feel insecure and unsafe because of people who are not treating you properly. That’s why the escape route of many bullied students is to skip school. Some pretend to be sick while some just cry it out, not wanting their parents to drive them to school.

Bullied kids are enduring a lot of hardships because as much as they want to enjoy childhood and to delightfully learn in school, they don’t want to be in the same place as those harsh bullies. It’s a very burdensome problem that makes life cruel for them. In a way, bullying robs them of their right to be educated necessarily since it wrecks a lot in a person’s life. 

Know that you do NOT deserve to suffer all these. There’s no acceptable reason to say that bullying is OK. As a victim, you do not deserve to be harmed, abused and terrorized by anybody! What the bullies are doing is completely invalid and inappropriate. Bullying is unasked. A peaceful and happy life is for you. 

4 – YOU CAN DEFEND YOURSELF.

Bullies are pleased when they hurt and put their victims to shame. What makes them more satisfied and more driven to do their wicked deeds is their victims’ endurance and tolerance. 

When you are bullied, feeling inferior and helpless, the most typical tendency is to just let the situation be. You don’t do anything about it, and you don’t shoo them away because you think that you got no match against them. You think that if you fight back, they will have their eyes and heads hotter on you. Making things worse by getting back at them is something you consider as your last resort because you just don’t want to, again, make things worse. 

But listen. The more you let the bullies be bullies, the more they will think that it’s fine for you; the more they will believe that they are doing nothing wrong. If you will just wait for them to change after some time, you will see yourself hurting longer because without anyone letting them know that bullying is disgraceful, these bullies won’t come to a realization and repentance.   

Grasp this truth that many bullied children are not willing to accept: You CAN defend yourself. Don’t just allow them to step on you! Doing that is not the same as adversely hurting them back. You can speak up and confront them. Tell them to stop. Get the chance to enlighten them how menacing bullying is. Protect and guard yourself. Love yourself more.

5 – YOU CAN ASK FOR HELP.

Bullying is never acceptable! In whatever world it may be, it is not right. 

A part of defending yourself from bullies is seeking help from people who can help. It is every school’s accountability to take care and nourish their students, to make sure that they learn well and are raised uprightly. Let your trusted class advisers know in case they are not aware that you are bullied. As necessary, they must do something to immediately address this issue. Don’t be afraid; they have the authority, as your second parents, to assist you.

In case the bullying you experience reaches detrimental injuries, mental distresses and other life-threatening concerns, be alarmed, and alert your parents and guardians. Be informed that the law and the society is with you in your fight against bullying. There are children support programs, counselling institutions, family lawyers, child protection safety regulations and more advocates to curtle bullying. They are present to help and save you.

Asking for help is not useless. It’s NOT a little act. It could be the biggest thing you could do to get out of the darkness brought about by bullying.

_____________

ARE YOU BULLIED?

Bullying leaves wounds that nobody but the victim sees. It terribly affects the emotional and the mental health of the victims. Self-confidence and self-esteem are pulled down until faded. Bullying is the reason why many students hate going to school. It can destroy dreams and ruin lives. It can impair capabilities and disfigure kindness. Worst, bullying can lead to lives left lifeless.

Are you bullied? Stand up. Speak up. Show them how it is to live with goodness. You are not the kind of person the bullies are talking about. You are better! You are stronger! You are not a nobody! Bullying has to stop. If you see someone being bullied, do not turn a blind eye so everyone’s eyes will be opened. 

The bullies have to be taught; the bullied have to be rescued. End bullying — It is possible. It is a must.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

• Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice over artist. She finds quality and well-researched writing as a worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. For her, it’s restoring and fulfilling to the heart and a great way to clear the mind while loading it up with fresh learning. Film critiquing and filmmaking are among her interests too. Giving all the glory to God, Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.