Teenage bullying is a burning issue that has not been talked about enough. Perhaps our culture has tried to make us ignore the issue claiming ‘It’s not a big deal’. Yet most adults do not realise how far-reaching and long-lasting the effects of teenage bullying can be. Schools are meant to be a type of [...]

The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Stop the bullying

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Teenage bullying is a burning issue that has not been talked about enough. Perhaps our culture has tried to make us ignore the issue claiming ‘It’s not a big deal’. Yet most adults do not realise how far-reaching and long-lasting the effects of teenage bullying can be.

Schools are meant to be a type of haven for children, a place for them to learn and be encouraged to grow into their own person. Yet bullying can go to the extent of pushing these kids to the final, devastating end, shattering the lives of the families of these children.

It is an extreme case indeed but not as rare as we would hope it to be. There was recently a video documentary where the hosts interviewed several parents who had lost their children because of bullying at school. Most of the time these bullies tended to isolate the victim from other people and convince others to watch and praise the bullying. These on-lookers do it too because of the fear of becoming the next victim. This type of team bullying can be physical or mental but either way, it is traumatic and damaging to the victim.

What is the purpose of bullying? It is a pointless but damaging show-off game of domination. If we could encourage our children not to be afraid of those bullies and get them to encourage their friends similarly to stand up against it, then they will stand apart from this culture of team violence. All we need are a few ‘anti-bullies’ to save the mental and physical sanity of thousands upon thousands of victims. Perhaps we get bullied because of our flaws or difference but surely those are the very qualities that will make our personalities stand out from the crowd when we live in the world outside.

We ought to embrace these facets of ourselves and others and encourage each other. Teenage years are crucial in forming personalities and an individual’s character that will come to define future leaders. And the ‘future’ is not so far off: a youth of 16 can be a corporate executive in the next ten years. Teach them to embrace their personality and to stand up against bullying. This is the legacy that they will carry when there are others under them, following their example.

This article was written by a Stitch volunteer. For more information visit ww.stitchmovement.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter (ID: StitchMovement)




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