October is not only National Domestic Violence Awareness month, but National Bullying Prevention month as well. (Please see my other article pertaining to domestic violence, as this article will deal with the topic of bullying, and its prevention.) Bullying has plagued our society since time began, but more attention has been drawn to it in recent years due to more publicized news of suicides of bullying victims and the use of social media as a tool to carry out bullying.
Very recently, an 11-year-old Canadian boy suffering from muscular dystrophy killed himself because he could no longer tolerate the bullying he suffered at school. This is an unspeakable tragedy, and he is not alone. Within the past four years alone, 36 cases of suicides in young people have been linked to cyber bullying. Who knows how many more go unreported or result from other types of bullying?
It is estimated that on any given school day, 160,000 children do not attend school for fear of being attacked or intimidated. This is a staggering statistic and one that should not be. Parents, teachers and fellow students need to be more aware of what is taking place in the children’s lives, and it is thought that peer intervention plays an important role. In more than an estimated 55 percent of bullying incidents, when a peer intervenes and speaks up about it, the bullying tends to stop. Just think, if only one person spoke up to point out to the bully that this is wrong, perhaps a life could be saved.
Bullies may choose their victims for any number of reasons, some being sexual orientation, being overweight, being of a different ethnicity, not dressing like they do, etc. The list is endless. The children who are bullied carry with them the effects of the bullying, which last far longer than after the bell rings at the end of the school day. They can carry residual effects from bullying throughout their lifetime and can be more prone to depression and anxiety disorders.
Bullying is a serious issue in our society and has become even more prevalent with so many children having access to social media outlets. With cyber bullying, it is easier for the bully to remain anonymous, and the bully can reach many people with one single act. Social media is great when sharing happy news and keeping up with friends but can have tragic outcomes when someone takes advantage of those resources to bully and torment and humiliate someone else.
For more information on bullying and its prevention, please visit http://shelbyvilledailyunion.com/local/x1953751421/October-is-National-Bullying-Prevention-Month , and http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/national-anti-bullying-month-oct-1-2010 .