In this day and age it is easy to be bullied—Children get bullied in school now more than ever, and social media can influence it as well. This can affect a child in and outside of school, and sometimes even into adulthood. When someone is bullied it can have a negative effect on everyone involved including the bully, target, the people who see it and anyone else that might be connected to the incident.
It takes a community to really combat bullying with events, awareness, and fundraisers. Many people have experienced some sort of bullying, and with cell phones and social media, sometimes it can be severe. A constant attack by someone could make kids loose sleep, loose focus in school, and impact them for life. Bullying can cause physical or emotional pain when someone spreads rumors, intentionally excludes someone, and physically abuses someone. Many kids do not tell their parents or teachers about it out of fear of shame or retaliation.
The most important thing to do is make sure that you talk to your children if they are being bullied. Try to being their support system when they need you the most. Let them know that you are here to talk and help them in any way possible. And it is also important to note that the bully is also someone that needs help. Bullies have issues at home which makes them engage in such behavior due to lack of empathy and trust.
The way to combat bullying is to stop it when you see it, but it can be hard in school due to retaliation from the bully or even a group of people the bully might get involved. We encourage kids that see it to anonymously report it to school officials. Together we can all make a huge difference to combat bullying and create a more loving, understanding world.