An Educational Experience On What It’s Like To Be Bullied
Image CreditHave you ever stopped to think what it was like for you when you were in going through elementary school, middle school and high school? Did you ever feel uncomfortable or have that feeling of being left out? Or were you the one who was in the popular group of students, or in the cheer leading squad or a member of a sports team? Were you in the honor study group, being very smart but at least you had fellow friends to do common things with? Were you the one who always had close friends who stood by your side so you would never have to face adversity alone?
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Or were you an outsider, trying to fit in with anyone who would welcome you? Did you eat alone or try to blend into the walls? Was it awkward when the teacher asked your class to split into groups of four and no one wanted you part of their group? Were you the one who would feel uncomfortable walking down the hallway while others stared at you or smirked? Would they call you names, make fun of the way you walked, laugh as you passed by or purposely bump into you, making you drop something?
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Did you ever see someone being taunted, bullied or made fun of? Did you do anything to stop it or did you laugh along with the others? Did you just turn your back, hoping to block it out? Did you feel sorry but were unable to help because of a fear of reprisal? These are question that we all need to ask ourselves, not to question our past behaviors but to take these hard truths to learn and grow from it.
and self-esteem
are quite aware of your potential,
even if you are not.”
―Wayne Gerard Trotman
We need to remember some of our past lessons so we can go on to spread the knowledge of how social interactions can affect another person’s whole life. We need to teach our children how their actions can hurt someone or leave an indelible mark on others. With the growth of electronic communications, social interaction has penetrated all aspects of our lives. In many ways our addiction to this wide spreading internet and cell phone communication ability has also increased the reach of bullying opportunities.
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When we experience what a victim goes through, we may learn how such interactions can affect one’s self-esteem and health. We can learn the harsh cruelties that are inflicted on those who are the targets of bullying and maybe understand that this cannot continue to happen in our schools. It is an important lesson we all need to understand and perhaps help to broaden the awareness of why it needs to be addressed more in today’s world.
Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.”
-Harvey S. Firestone
https://nobullying.com/what-you-may-be-feeling-when-bullied-by-others which describes what one feels when bullied by others: “You are walking down the hallway as the classmates you pass by whisper and point in your direction. Something is going on, but you don’t know what, as you hold your textbooks closer to your chest. You are almost to your locker when you feel hands at your back. The hands violently shove you forward. You slam face-first into the locker. Scattered laughter echoes in the hallway as you turn around. You are about to be bullied. Three bullies surround you as they make fun of you, occasionally using their hands to poke and shove against your body. There is no escape as you feel a range of emotions caused by their bullying actions. Only when the bell rings and the teachers usher kids into the classrooms are you able to get out of the situation.”
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On Answers.Yahoo (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120905213613AAh6Tub) Lihana gave the following answer to the question, “How does being bullied feel like?” Lihana’s answer was very poignant; “Being bullied is one of the worst feelings there is. It leaves deep emotional scars that a person will never truly recover from. It turns a happy person into a depressed suicidal person. A person who is bullied soon becomes paranoid. Especially now a days with cyberbullying. When people are constantly talking about horrible things about you within earshot or saying bad things under their breath about you it's not long before you assume everything you can't quite hear is something bad about you. You soon believe everything that is said is true. You feel completely worthless and a waste of space. It's not uncommon for a someone who is bullied to consider suicide. Not because they are selfish, but because they feel they are doing the world a favor by dying. On the flip side some have a more violent reaction and these are the teens you might see on the news. They decide the world hates me so I'm going to go down taking as many as I can. Columbine is a good example. People can only be pushed so far before they break.”
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Victims of bullying generally feel angry, depressed, lonely or sad. They also feel like they have no friends. Many feel powerless, different, and unpopular. They get nervous, feel sick, & may have problems at school. Some bully other kids and eventually become a bully. They develop low self-esteem & some even have lingering bitterness and/or desires for revenge. In extreme cases, some get suicidal.
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The torture of being victimized by a bully can have very long term effects and literally change many children’s lives forever. With greater awareness of the serious impact of bullying in schools will, hopefully lead to more efforts to find ways to actively handle complaints of being targeted. And efforts should also help teachers to learn how to fairly handle each situation.
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life”
―Simple Plan
In my last part of this series, I will explore possible ways schools can handle these bullying issues. Thank-you for reading my post. It is much appreciated! If you would like to follow me, please check HERE
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