If you saw somebody getting bullied, would you stop it or would you just continue doing what you were doing and let it happen? Not many people really think about this, and I think that’s part of the problem.
My little sister lives in Mississippi and she is constantly getting picked on because she is half Mexican and half White. There are times where she gets threats saying that they are going to kill her or comments like “I wish your mom’s illness would hurry up and kill her.” Those comments are hurtful.
Growing up I was taught “treat others the way you want to be treated,” and I still follow it till this day. That was the “Golden Rule.” There are 6 types of bullying: Verbal, Physical, Relational Aggression, Sexual, Cyber, and prejudicial bullying. Verbal bullying is when a person uses name-calling, words, or statements to gain control over their target. The bullies usually choose their victim by the way they look, behave, and act. Some people would tell the victim to “ignore it” but studies show that verbal bullying does come with a consequence.
Physical Bullying is probably the most obvious. The person gains power over someone else by using physical actions. This type of bullying receives more attention than any other kind of bullying. Relational Aggression is the sneakiest kind of bullying going unnoticed by the parents or those around them. It is usually referred to as emotional bullying. The goal behind this is to increase a persons social standing by controlling those around them. A great example of this would be the movie Mean Girls.
Cyber bullying is the most common one in today’s society. The bully uses a cell phone or another kind of electronic device to target their victims. If an adult is doing this it is called cyber-harassment or cyber stalking. My sister is a victim of this. Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old girl who hung herself, was also a victim of this.
Sexual Bullying is repeated, harmful and humiliating action targeting a person sexually. Girls and women are most likely to be a victim of this. Examples of this include: sex-ting, sexual name-calling, crude comments, uninvited touching, pornographic material, sexual propositioning and vulgar gestures. In extreme cases this opens a door to sexual assault. I myself am a victim of this.
Prejudicial Bullying is based on prejudices that a person has towards people of different religions, races, or their sexual orientation. This can encompass all other types of bullying like cyber bullying, verbal, physical, relational aggression, and sometimes even sexual bullying. That’s scary.
When victims of these types of bullying see no way out, they hurt themselves or even end their lives. It’s a tragedy especially since the families of those victims feel more hurt since they couldn’t stop this from happening.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for those ages 10-24, behind motor vehicle accidents.
If a person lets bullying happen then they themselves are a part of it too; especially if they have had the chance to stop this from happening.
Bullying can happen anywhere. At school, home, etc. people may not see it but it’s there and it is causing pain to a lot of people.
If you or a person is being bullied don’t be afraid to talk to someone. Or call a hotline Crisis Call Center 1 (800)-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863 24 hours a day, seven days a week.