Bullying and harassment are two very serious problems that affect many people. It is important to know what these words mean, how they can affect someone, and what you can do if you are bullied or harassed. Bullying is when one person intentionally makes another feel bad about themselves on purpose by making fun of them, embarrassing them in front of others, spreading rumors about them (or even telling lies), threatening physical harm against the victim or their family members, etc.
Harassment is a little different from bullying, in that it usually involves a stranger or a group of people who are not known to the victim. They may harass you in person by making offensive comments, flashing inappropriate body parts at you, etc. Or they may harass you online by leaving insulting messages on your Facebook wall, telling other people to make fun of you, etc.
Myth #1: Only certain types of people are bullied/harassed.
Truth: Bullying and harassment can affect any type of person – the only trait that they need to share is being different in some way from society’s majority. That difference could be related to their race, gender, sexuality, religion, physical appearance, etc.
Myth #2: Bullying and harassment are a normal part of growing up.
Truth: While bullying and harassment do happen to many children and teenagers, no child should have to tolerate it – there is absolutely nothing “normal” about being bullied! It can be very harmful to the mental health of those who go through it.
Myth #3: There is nothing to do about bullying and harassment if it happens to you – the best thing you can do is ignore it.
Truth: Ignoring bullying and harassment will not make it go away, so don’t waste your energy trying to pretend that that’s what you’re doing! If this kind of behavior continues for too long, it can seriously affect your mental health (and even cause you to develop physical problems), so it is important that you do something about it.
Myth #4: When someone has been bullied/harassed for a long time, they will eventually just get used to it and stop caring.
Truth: Even though the victim may try to pretend like they’ve “gotten over it” (usually because that’s what the bullies want them to do), chances are that they have not truly healed. Ignoring harassment or bullying is not a good way to deal with the problem, and eventually, it could catch up with them!
Myth #5: If you’re being bullied/harassed, you should go to the school administration.
Truth: While this is one option, it isn’t your only one – especially since schools are not always very good at handling these problems! If you tell someone in authority about your situation, then there’s a good chance that it will get worse before anything can be done to help you. It’s better to find someone who isn’t connected to the school and can be more objective and impartial than your friends or family. You could talk to a teacher you trust, a friend’s parents, a relative, etc. But never wait too long before telling someone!
Conclusion:
Bullying and harassment are very serious problems, but knowing how to deal with them will make them easier to handle. If you are being bullied or harassed, the best thing you can do is remove yourself from the situation as much as possible, and try to gain some perspective on it. Then talk to someone who you trust – they may be able to help you figure out what to do next. Contact us For Online Training.
