Writer's Block: When push comes to shove
Nov. 6th, 2010 08:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nurikonomiko[Error: unknown template qotd]
As a victim of bullying throughout my entire school life, I feel something must be done to stop it. Bullying is a problem, but often the children who are being bullied do not speak about the issue because they are afraid it will make it worse. Often the school authorities don't know it is going on until they are informed, sometimes even then they will not do anything, but it takes an immense amount of courage for the victim to come out about it at all.
There must be a proactive effort on the part of teachers and other school authorities to watch over the children and, if a child is upset, they should talk to them. Preventative measures such as disciplining children who are mean to other children and not standing aside without saying anything should be in place.
It is not all on teachers to be vigilant, either. Those who are bullied should find the strength to confide in someone about it, no matter how difficult it may seem. Whether it's a trusted friend (and by trusted I mean one who will listen without judging or belittling) or a guidance counselor or a teacher or a parent. Bullying is not limited to age. It can happen just as easily in colleges and universities as it can in middle school. Even if you are in university, someone of higher authority should be sought out. Don't keep it all balled inside, it will only make you feel more powerless and nothing will be solved.
In my experience, some teachers have been extremely helpful and I am thankful for their intervention. In elementary school, I went to the principal myself after years of verbal abuse turned into physical abuse in 6th grade. When my teacher found out he was furious. I had been enduring it for almost the whole year. He yelled at the entire class, banging the message into their heads that what they were doing was assault and against the law. I still admire him for standing up for me. If I hadn't gone to the principal, I don't think he would have known.
In college there was a guy who accused me of plagiarizing one of my papers. He had no basis whatsoever to say such a thing, but he felt he had some right to do it. Of course, he had a posse to back him up. I went straight to the teacher who had graded the paper (and I had gotten an A on it, if I remember correctly) and he said "How would he know?". Instantly I felt better about it, and because I said something, the school became aware of the fact there was bullying going on.
I don't think I would have said anything had I not been visiting the guidance counselor. I didn't actively seek her out, she had come to me first. She had been curious about how I always came into school in the morning listening to music and happy in my own little world until class started. I felt she was trustworthy enough to go to about the accusation, and she was the one who encouraged me to act.
This is what bullies do. They find a weakness and exploit it. Those who are different from them are their targets. Those who are better than they are at something are targets. All they can do is puff themselves up to make themselves look better, when in fact they only look worse to the people who know better. Often there are others who stand up to them, but other students rarely have an effect. None of the girls in my class in 6th grade stood up for me, but the girls in the French immersion class did. I'm thankful for their help.
You are better than they are, even if you don't feel like it. It's not your fault, don't ever think that way. Be yourself and don't change to fit their image. Don't give them the gratification, as difficult as it may be. You are not alone.
As a victim of bullying throughout my entire school life, I feel something must be done to stop it. Bullying is a problem, but often the children who are being bullied do not speak about the issue because they are afraid it will make it worse. Often the school authorities don't know it is going on until they are informed, sometimes even then they will not do anything, but it takes an immense amount of courage for the victim to come out about it at all.
There must be a proactive effort on the part of teachers and other school authorities to watch over the children and, if a child is upset, they should talk to them. Preventative measures such as disciplining children who are mean to other children and not standing aside without saying anything should be in place.
It is not all on teachers to be vigilant, either. Those who are bullied should find the strength to confide in someone about it, no matter how difficult it may seem. Whether it's a trusted friend (and by trusted I mean one who will listen without judging or belittling) or a guidance counselor or a teacher or a parent. Bullying is not limited to age. It can happen just as easily in colleges and universities as it can in middle school. Even if you are in university, someone of higher authority should be sought out. Don't keep it all balled inside, it will only make you feel more powerless and nothing will be solved.
In my experience, some teachers have been extremely helpful and I am thankful for their intervention. In elementary school, I went to the principal myself after years of verbal abuse turned into physical abuse in 6th grade. When my teacher found out he was furious. I had been enduring it for almost the whole year. He yelled at the entire class, banging the message into their heads that what they were doing was assault and against the law. I still admire him for standing up for me. If I hadn't gone to the principal, I don't think he would have known.
In college there was a guy who accused me of plagiarizing one of my papers. He had no basis whatsoever to say such a thing, but he felt he had some right to do it. Of course, he had a posse to back him up. I went straight to the teacher who had graded the paper (and I had gotten an A on it, if I remember correctly) and he said "How would he know?". Instantly I felt better about it, and because I said something, the school became aware of the fact there was bullying going on.
I don't think I would have said anything had I not been visiting the guidance counselor. I didn't actively seek her out, she had come to me first. She had been curious about how I always came into school in the morning listening to music and happy in my own little world until class started. I felt she was trustworthy enough to go to about the accusation, and she was the one who encouraged me to act.
This is what bullies do. They find a weakness and exploit it. Those who are different from them are their targets. Those who are better than they are at something are targets. All they can do is puff themselves up to make themselves look better, when in fact they only look worse to the people who know better. Often there are others who stand up to them, but other students rarely have an effect. None of the girls in my class in 6th grade stood up for me, but the girls in the French immersion class did. I'm thankful for their help.
You are better than they are, even if you don't feel like it. It's not your fault, don't ever think that way. Be yourself and don't change to fit their image. Don't give them the gratification, as difficult as it may be. You are not alone.
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no subject
Date: 2010-11-06 11:06 pm (UTC)OTZ Bullying is never the answer. Ever.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-06 11:23 pm (UTC)That sucks. She sounds like she's a little crazy. It's odd how people think, isn't it? How they might think they're friends but treat those friends badly. They may not even realize it.
No, it is never the answer. I wish more people could be protected from it, to be quite honest. When I hear about someone committing suicide because of bullying it really hits home. It's something that could have been prevented.