Bullying Behavior
Recently I have been thinking a lot about people’s behavior and specifically the constant conversation about bullying and inclusion that we have been hearing since we were in 1st grade. “If you see someone being bullied stand up for the person or seek out help,” and also, “Don’t be the person that makes other people feel left out or sad.” When I realize that these messages have been constantly blaring in our minds for years on repeat I wonder why this is still an issue. It seems to me that people should just want to be kind, inclusive, and empathetic. Yet, I am shocked every day by behavior that is none of the sorts. Teens making fun of people they know nothing about, other kids watching on as this happens, and even terrible social media comments or bullying on the online platform. I guess all of this has caused me to feel disappointed in the morals of society. Why do people feel the need to put others down to make themselves feel good? This is an age-old problem, but we have yet to see this behavior become invisible in social situations.
I did some research to seek out the psychological aspect of this. In an article linked here I have found pretty generic information that we have all heard of. “Kids bully if they have been bullied before,” and “ they could be dealing with conflict at home.” I understand these reasons but I also know that this is not the case for every mean girl or boy. There must be a more concrete answer, so I did some more research and found something. Bullying is more of a culture but is heavily influenced by the social-ecological framework and the child/bullies' surroundings. Unsafe atmospheres with limited discipline or guidance often culture an environment for a bully to harass victims while others stand by. It is not the lack of education, but the psychological and emotional issues that stem back further all of this surrounding home life, school influences, community/cultural influences, and peer influences. It is a greater problem than we seem to be able to admit. With so much growing awareness for mental health, we should be connecting it to the age-old problem of bullying. Instability, emotional stress disorders, and anger all play such a huge role in this bullying epidemic.
So now that I understand it a bit more, I must admit that I still feel angry towards the perpetrators of the problem. I must also say that I refuse to admit every bully or rude person suffers from these issues/does not suffer from them. I believe that there is more to the story than we now understand. I think that some children are just so incredibly unhappy that they resort to lashing out at their peers for a sense of control. Even people who have it all many times are missing something that is not material. Whether it be attention, love, or even validation. I think our society is built upon everyone wanting to be a step up on the social ladder without minding who is on the rungs below. I believe that self-awareness is a key factor in many issues. If people do not take a step back and realize the effect their actions have on may be the most unassuming people then they are not doing their job. I am in no way preaching that you should behave for others and not yourself. I support making decisions that benefit you, but I also think that making sure they do not hurt someone else is just as important.
In conclusion, I did not come any closer to finding out why bullying and meanness is still a thing we deal with. It could just be human nature, but I do think it is worth looking at and analyzing. Maybe you will figure out a way to bring people together and create a more positive social atmosphere. I think any little bit will make a difference in the environment of social networks or relationships between people.
 |
| Cartoon |
I think that part of the issue is that we also tend to punish the victim, which is seen in no-tolerance policies for fighting, where anyone involved in a fight is automatically punished, regardless of the situation. If the victims were allowed to fight back, perhaps there would be less motivation for bullies to pick on them.
ReplyDeleteI think that bullying is most of the time caused by peer pressure too. I think people get wrapped up into the wrong crowds of kids. Usually a group is led by an individual that tries to show their power by taking it out on other kids. The kids involved in the friend group usually end up following the leader to fit in and sometimes that is how a couple more bullies come out of it. For example, in the movie Wonder, the boys that were friends with Julian, who made fun of Auggie, were actually good kids but they got wrapped up with the wrong people and became bullies themselves.
ReplyDeleteI also think bullying may happen due to jealousy. When an individual is jealous or envious of a peer, they often act rudely toward them or bully them. I also think social media plays a very big role in bullying. People don't always think before they post things which can lead to these conflicts.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Personally, I have observed a lot of bullying stem from a lack of exposure to the real world. Whether that be religion, culture, a fashion choice, or who someone loves, those with closed minds seem to be the ones dishing out hate. People like this can sometimes believe there is one right way to live while they have only seen and interact with those in their small town. Exposure is everything, as it changes mindsets and leads people to see just how stupid their criticism of others is.
ReplyDelete