MENTAL HEALTH

Bullying

Bullying is when a person is picked on by another person or a group of people. Bullies make fun of people for many reasons:

• Appearance
• Behaviour
• Race or religion
• Social status
• Sexual identity

What Are The Different Forms Of Bullying

• Physical bullying occurs when bullies hurt their targets physically. This includes shoving, tripping, punching or hitting the person. Any touch that a person does not want or makes one feel uncomfortable is also called bullying and sometimes may lead to sexual assault.
• Verbal bullying is taunting or teasing others using hurtful words.
• Psychological bullying includes gossiping about or excluding people to hurt them.
• Cyberbullying is when a bully uses the internet and social media to bully a person. This includes sending mean texts, posting insulting pictures or videos or making rude comments on their posts. Read how to deal with cyberbullying.

What Are The Causes and Effects Of Bullying On Teenagers?

Students who are bullied by others in school are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety. They also suffer from low self-esteem and see themselves as being less worthy than others.

Bullies often pick on people continuously. This can result in the person:

• Feeling scared, stressed, and depressed.
• Have suicidal thoughts
• Self-harm
• Have trouble with schoolwork
• Being moody or having a low energy level
• lack of sleep and appetite.

Why Do People Bully Others?

There are various reasons why someone might bully others. Someone who bullies might:

• Feel jealous of the target
• Want others to like them
• Like to be in control
• Want to feel better about themselves
• Want to fit in
• Feel angry inside
• Have been bullied themselves
• Not knowing what they are doing is wrong

Remember that even though people might bully others because they have many problems and issues, there is no valid reason to bully others. It is never the victim’s fault that they are being bullied. It is important to take active steps to handle bullying and know how to deal with bullies.

What Kind of People Are Bullies?

People of any gender can be bullies. Bullies can be:

• Outgoing or aggressive. This kind of bully may make fun of you in your face or try to physically hurt you.
• Quiet and sneaky. This bully will try to manipulate you and secretly or anonymously start a rumour about you.
• Friendly and fake. This bully will pretend to be your friend so that you tell them things and then use this to talk behind your back.

How To Deal With Bullies?

Bullying is a serious issue and it can be challenging dealing with teen bullying. If you or someone you know is being bullied, there are a few things you can do to counter it. You can:

• Tell an adult you trust: Adults like parents, teachers, coaches or school
  counsellors can deal with bullying without the bully knowing how they found out about it.
• Bullies like getting a reaction. Instead of dealing with teen bullying, if you ignore them and walk away, it tells them that you don’t care.
• Walk tall and hold your head high.
• Don’t get physical: You can get in trouble if you fight a bully; you are also more likely to be hurt.
• Try to talk to the bully and point out that their behaviour is serious and harmful.
• Practice confidence and feeling good about yourself

Stand up for your friends or any other you see being bullied.