Six million American children have endured some level of bullying. This number equates to one out of five middle school and high school students.
What causes bullying?
Many times, the act emanates by paying it forward. A parent’s neglect or abuse, or stress from a parent’s addiction, might produce the behavior. In turn, the bullied becomes the bully.
An imbalance of power leverages the bully to take advantage of their victim. It is more gender-related, being common in males. The reason is in general, females are encouraged to talk about their issues, where the opposite is true for boys. Bullying becomes a coping mechanism.
What damage does the bullying cause?
The lasting effects of being bullied can endure well into a child’s adulthood. Healthy relationships can often be a struggle for those that have endured this treatment. Severe emotional damage and undue stress derive from bullying and the empathy factor is often missed unless the helper themselves have been bullied.
What can be done?
Shedding light on the issue is the first step in an anti-bullying atmosphere. As in many social issues, the first step is bringing awareness and getting people involved. Kids have to be taught a fundamental value of respect and the suppressed need a voice.
One might find their entry-level by simply donating money. Signing up for an anti-bullying campaign will open the door for community involvement. Closing the empathy gap is one of our main focuses. Take a look at our website for anti-bullying involvement details.
