Understanding Bullying: A Call for Compassion and Action
- Shaina Newsome
- Oct 22, 2024
- 2 min read
There is a profound impact that bullying has on individuals, families, and communities. It is an issue that transcends age, background, and setting, affecting our children in schools, adults in workplaces, and even our interpersonal relationships.
What is Bullying?
Bullying involves intentional, repeated harmful behavior towards a person, creating a power imbalance and causing physical or emotional harm. It can take different forms, including verbal, physical, relational, and cyberbullying.
· Verbal bullying encompasses teasing, name-calling, taunting, inappropriate sexual comments, or threats.
· Physical bullying may involve hitting, tripping, kicking, spitting, or confiscating or damaging personal possessions.
· Relational or social bullying is a discreet form of bullying aimed at damaging a person's reputation or relationships by deliberately excluding the victim from a group, spreading rumors, or publicly embarrassing the individual.
· Cyberbullying entails the use of the internet, cell phones, or other electronic technology to disseminate negative, false, or hurtful content about someone else. Cyberbullying presents distinctive challenges as it can be carried out at any time, often anonymously, and can rapidly reach large audiences.
The long-term consequences of bullying are significant. They include increased rates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, social isolation, and difficulties with interpersonal functioning. Victims of bullying often face challenges in finding and maintaining employment, while bullies and bully-victims are at higher risk of engaging in harmful behaviors and substance abuse.
Warning Signs of Bullying:
· Feeling different
· Declining academic performance
· Loss of personal belongings
· Demonstrating aggressive behavior
· Changes in computer usage
· Frequent illness or injuries
· Changes in eating or sleeping habits
· Low self-esteem
· Changes in social interactions
Prevention: A Community Effort
Preventing bullying requires collective action from families, schools, and communities. Implementing anti-bullying policies in schools, conducting educational workshops for parents and children regarding bullying, and fostering open conversations about feelings and experiences within families are effective prevention strategies.
Desta Therapy
Desta Therapy provides a safe, supportive environment where individuals can process their experiences with bullying and develop practical coping strategies to build resilience. Through specialized counseling techniques, Desta therapists help clients rebuild their self-esteem and create healthy boundaries while working through the emotional impact of bullying.
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