Since October was National Bullying Prevention Month, I wanted to raise awareness about how our society nowadays is often insensitive, particularly around behavior towards the concept of bullying.
Firstly, the way many individuals talk about bullying is quite alarming. Some people have been saying phrases such as, “bring back bullying,” on social media platforms in order to push people to fit into society’s norms. This raises the idea that bullying can be a justifiable action if someone does not fit the norm.
Second, as a society, humans have a nature of trying to find the “silver lining of things,” but not everything has a silver lining. Bullying is an uncomfortable topic, and acting like it is not can invalidate people’s experiences. The common phrase, “bullying makes you stronger,” is one I find to be very insensitive. That is very often not the case, it is found that bullying can make people more insecure, and usually worsens others’ mental health.
Additionally, the conversation around bullying often treats it as a simple topic. We fail to understand that everyone who has been bullied has a unique experience that shapes their perspective in different ways. I am sure everyone has heard of the three ways to prevent bullying: “stand up for yourself, ignore them and tell a trusted adult.” The reality is, none of these truly work. They can work to an extent, but they don’t break the cycle of bullying. It does not get to the roots of the problem, which are the act of bullying, and a society that tolerates it. In hindsight, teaching people how to protect themselves against bullying is not a bad idea. The bad thing about it is how we tend to sugarcoat it and act like there are ‘cures’ to bullying.
Ultimately, teaching people how to protect themselves against bullying is not such a bad idea; the bad thing about it is how society treats it. We often sugarcoat it or act as if ignoring it, fighting back or telling someone will magically stop bullying. The problem with focusing so heavily on this is that we don’t get to the root of the problem. We need to understand that bullying is a complex topic, not a simple one. So what can we do? We should prioritize focusing on the harm that bullying causes and why not to do it. We should also be more supportive towards people who have been bullied, and not only find ways to prevent it but also to listen.
