Bullying refers to the act of intentionally hurting someone emotionally, physically, or both through painful words or actions over and over again. People who do this activity are called bullies and tend to display manipulative and impulsive behaviors — as well as anger management issues, hot-tempered, great physical strength, and dominant. On the other hand, individuals who are victims of bullying are referred to as the bullied. They are the ones who receive the fury of the bullies and are commonly mistreated even if they didn’t do wrong.
The usual acts of bullying include but are not limited to pushing, hitting, name-calling, creating rumors, fighting, posting mean things on social media, making rude actions, etc. What makes bullying a severe case is its ability to create a long-lasting effect on the bullied person. The impacts of it include depression, anxiety, eating disorders, isolation, and more.
There is really a need to help people avoid becoming either the bully or the bullied. Because of this emerging issue, there are many platforms that used their influence and power to raise bullying awareness.
School
Bullying usually takes place in school. There are many kids who are being victimized by those students who feel superior and physically stronger than the others. Thus, schools from all around the world are doing their best to educate their students about bullying and prevent the act from happening. Some academic institutions conduct orientation about the subject while others inject the subject in their daily lessons. Among the other activities that raise bullying awareness in schools are using materials, like stickers, banners, and flyers, to catch the attention of students and encourage them to be a buddy instead of a bully. The mission, vision, policies, and manuals of academes are also being modified to strictly impose the non-tolerance of any kind of bullying.
Literature
Literature is one of the avenues of entertainment and learning. However, how could this platform raise bullying awareness? Through its touching stories and poems, readers can be taught that there is no way that bullying is considered good. Many authors raise bullying awareness in their writings, such as Trudy Ludwig, Peggy Moss, Laurie Halse Anderson, Alex Finn, and Jennifer Brown. There are also several writings that tackle the topic, such as the bullying awareness book by Konieczka, Alana — which is a children’s book titled A Kid’s Life: Loving, Learning, Growing. What makes literature a great field to promote the anti-bullying campaign is its wide array of readers. Thus, it really the perfect place to teach people how bullying can affect the overall health and lifestyle of both the bully and victims and perhaps put a stop to this act.
Film
Movies like Mean Girls, Easy A, Wonder, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, Carrie, and Odd Girl Out are some of the many films that showcase bullying. The typical movies that tackle the subject are those about protagonists who are entering middle school, have physical flaws, and basically those who don’t seem to confirm the society that they live in. Moreover, attention is an essential learning aspect. Numerous students react more to watching films on a basic level than it is to reading, which helps keep them entertained and prevents them from being easily distracted. That said, viewers — especially the younger ones, can absorb the meaningful aspects of the movies while being entertained.
Social Media
Although cyberbullying is rampant until this day, social media is also one of the most effective channels to raise awareness. With just one post, it can reach all of your networks and perhaps the whole world. All you need is to make use of your social media accounts and compose a post about bullying and how it affects the lives of others. From Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to Youtube, Pinterest, and even Tumblr, you never know how much difference one post can make. These platforms also help everyone to speak up and educate others to stop becoming either a bully or a victim. Now that there is a pandemic, utilizing social media for anti-bullying and awareness advocacies is the best option. It is because it will not only help you reach millions of people but also keep you safe from the pandemic.
Alex Writes 