BULLYING & BYSTANDING IN SCHOOLS

PINK SHIRT DAY WATERLOO REGION WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Have you seen bullying happening at school but were afraid to do anything about it? You’re not alone. More than 80% of young people see bullying happening and don’t do anything about it. Instead, we often watch silently as people’s reputations crumble and their self-esteem goes downhill. What people often wonder is why would we stand by and watch this happen? Most kids will say it’s because they are worried that the bully will pick on them next and that fear can make it feel impossible to help someone else. Other people don’t get involved because they don’t know how to help. But research shows that it’s important that we get involved because when someone stands up, bullying almost always stops right away. So what can we, as young people, do? Here are a few things that have worked for us. Because verbal bullying, like spreading rumours or saying hurtful things, is the most common type of bullying we see in our middle school, we are going to focus on what we can do to stop this from happening. One thing you can do is actively stand up for others when you hear someone saying mean and hurtful things. You can simply tell the person to stop and remind them that it’s not ok to say hurtful things to or about others. You can also start by changing the way you talk about people. Try to stop saying rude things about others and remove labels and start seeing people for themselves, not stereotypes. When we make a point of treating other people well, we can teach the people around us to treat others better, too. We also have to be aware of how our words can impact people, even when we aren’t trying to be mean. How often have we made fun of a friend thinking it was just a joke? We can’t keep assuming that our friend is okay with us telling them that they’re a bad singer, or assuming that our friends are okay with us telling them they look ugly today. You may know you’re joking, but they might not. Remember, bullying isn’t just about your intentions. It also has to do with how what you are saying and doing makes the other person feel. Hearing negative comments again and again can do some serious damage to someone’s self-esteem and that’s not something we would want to do to a friend. While standing up to someone can make a huge difference, we need to remember to help with what we can, but to stay safe in the process. So how do you stand up to someone without getting hurt? If you aren’t comfortable telling a person to stop, try talking to the person who was being targeted. Reassure them and let them know that you are there for them. Encourage them to tell someone what’s happening. You can also always get a trusted adult to help if the situation seems like it could escalate. And if it gets physical you should always reach out to an adult for extra help. If you are the one who is being bullied, ignore their comments. The main goal is to hurt you and to get a reaction from you, so if you don’t give them what they want, they won’t bother you anymore. Remember, Pink Shirt Day is about taking a stand against bullying. Let’s start by standing up for others.