Anti-Bullying

What is bullying? It is defined as “seeking to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable)”. Bullying isn’t the way to take out problems. If you have parents that abuse you, siblings who hurt you (more than the usual amount), or a kid that bullies you at your school, reach out. Talk to a friend, guidance counselor, or a trusted teacher. Try to avoid that person, or stand up to them. If he/she inflicts pain on you, talk to people. Maybe you think that they won’t care. They will.

If you bully someone, stop for a second and think about the repercussions of your actions. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Imagine you were hurt badly every day, and you can’t do anything to stop it. If this happens in your house, bullying other kids is just not the answer. You can talk to people. If you are hurt in any way, and any point in time, "snitching" isn’t bad. You’re just looking out for yourself.

Negative Effects of Bullying

Bullying has multiple negative effects. One of these effects is that it makes people insecure, and makes people think that they are not important. Bullying makes people angry because every little remark makes them go on the defensive. It also causes anxiety and depression. One of the reasons that bullying is so horrible is the bullying-suicide connection. Adults who got bullied as kids live a life with low self-esteem and it makes them want to commit suicide.

What will happen if you are caught bullying People?

In our school, there are many consequences for bullying other children. There is an Anti-Bullying policy that exists in every school. In every school, there is an Anti-Bullying Specialist and ours in Mrs. Mathieu. If you get caught bullying, then Mrs. Mathieu will deal with it first. Then it will go to the superintendent. The superintendent has the right to impose any consequences that he wants. You could get suspended, which doesn’t seem so bad, but will go on your permanent record and make it harder for you to get into a school that you would want to. Expulsion would be a lot worse, as it would lead to you having to go to another school district.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is just as painful as physical bullying. People think that they are anonymous and are so much crueler and horrible. Cyberbullying is when people use the internet to prey on the emotions of a person. It makes them feel unimportant, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and makes people want to commit suicide. If something nasty is posted, it is much harder to get rid of than if it was said because someone could have reposted it, took a screenshot, or saved it. If you see these kinds of posts, report them. When something like this is posted, hundreds of people see it and the person that it was directed to feels horrible. Think about it, hard and carefully, before you post something that could be classified as cyberbullying. Social Media is one of the main conductors of cyberbullying/bullying. Don’t friend/follow people who post these kinds of posts, and report them.

If you see something, say something....

Being a bystander is not acceptable. If you are scared that the bullies will hurt you as well, just report the event to teachers or a guidance counselor. When you go up to a person who has been hurt physically or psychologically and help them up or talk to them, they feel so much better. If people intervene early then the problem won’t be as bad later on. Intervening can stop things like sexual assault, rape, and underage drinking. Helping someone or standing up to someone can change their entire life for the better.

What has JDMS done?

The administration in our district has sent out letters and created some programs for the students to counter bullying. There is a video on Youtube that addresses peer conflict. The students had a half-day schedule one day and the girls went to a program and the boys went to various mini-programs. There are school policies in place to address bullying. But as a school and community we need to do more. For example, the student council can get involved in organizing events to promote kindness. The biggest factor however is YOU. What have you done to prevent bullying?

By: Nikhil Mani