A simple definition of bullying would be "the use of superior strength or influence to intimidate someone, typically forcing him or her to do what one wants." According to stop bullying.gov, 28 percent of students in the United States experience bullying when they are in grades 6-12. This demonstrates how bullying is extremely harmful in schools, which is where about 25 to 33 percent of students are actually bullied. This bullying leads to heightened risks for the victims. Risks can vary anywhere from physical abuse, self-inflicted harm, and suicide. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2014, suicide was the second leading cause of death for people 10-34 years old.
While the term "bullying" is very broad, there are many subcategories which define the types of bullying a little better. The broad spectrum of bullying can be split into direct and indirect bullying. Direct bullying is when you harm another, physically or verbally, face to face. This would include yelling at someone, putting someone down by saying rude comments, or even physically hurting them. Indirect bullying is when the bullying is not "directly communicated" to the victim. Spreading rumors is a great example of this because a bully harms the person's reputation and image, without actually confronting them face to face.
Bullying does not just happen to children in school, but adults can be bullies to one another, especially in the workplace. Also, with the technological advancements occurring in the world today, cyber bullying is a growing issue among teens and young adults. According to stop bullying.gov, nine percent of students in grades six through 12 have experienced to some capacity, a form of cyber bullying. With children now having access to smartphones and laptops at a young age, it's opening the door for new bullies to begin abusing others, but this time, they hide behind a screen rather than bully in person.
A 2011 documentary titled Bully depicts the effects of bullying in schools around the United States. The film looks at five cases of bullying to show how the youth can be affected by such harmful actions and comments. The youth who participated in the project range from a 14-year-old girl who pulled a gun on her tormentors to a 16-year-old star athlete who experienced exclusion and harmful comments once she came out as a lesbian. With a good amount of bullying occurring in schools, this film provides the evidence we need to rally together and end bullying.
The one thing you can do to help prevent bullying is not be a witness. If you see someone being physically or verbally tormented, it's crucial to intervene, and maybe even get a figure of authority, such as a teacher or parent, to assist. Watching someone being bullied and doing nothing about it not only harms that student even more, but it means that we are not moving toward a society where minimal bullying occurs. Basically, "when you see something, DO SOMETHING."
