“I’m tired of being bullied”
“I know I’m not supposed to be hurt by other people’s words, but words hurt!!!”
“If I stand up to the bully, I don’t know what will happen”
“The bully is bigger than me and they have more friends, If I stand up and they beat me up I will never be able to show my face again.”
“Their parents don’t care if they bully me!”
“The bully is only sorry when they get caught, after they finish getting in trouble I am still going to be here getting bullied again.”
“What do grown-ups know about being bullied, there advice of standing up the bully never works.”
“It seems to be cool to be a bully and If I tell on them, then I am not cool!”
The center for disease control (CDC) defines bullying as;
Repeated acts in which there is an imbalance of power between the perpetrator and victim. This demonstrated that victims of bullying experience stress-related physical health issues such as head and stomach aches and long-lasting mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and suicide.
WHY DO PEOPLE BULLY?
2 REASONS
We all need to realize that bullying is a disorder no different than PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). When people feel out of control or a lack of control they seek ways to get some control. Everybody does not turn to bullying, but for those who do it is because in some way their needs are not being met physically, mentally, or emotionally.
HOW DO WE STOP BULLYING?
One of the most successful anti-bullying campaigns for school aged children is the program called KIVa. The KIVa program was developed in Finland and based on their research findings after observing the program with students and teachers the reports of bullying from victims has diminished by more than 50% year over year for a 5 year period. The KIVa program is a science based bullying prevention program.
The success of the program is based on programs targeting bystanders of bullying events or activities. The research states that if you can train the individuals who witness bullying activities to help stop the bullying event or gain access to authority individuals who can intervene and stop the bullying activities. The programs do not focus on the bully’s themselves instead it focuses on building an army of mitigators who are peers to the bully’s. These peers are equipped with the necessary tactics to stop the bullying activity before it begins.
KIVa process - When the community gets involved bullying stops!
If all school districts would implement the KIVa system, starting in Kindergarten bullying would be greatly diminished in both childhood and adulthood. In order to implement the KIVa system in the United States resources must be allocated for training, resources, support, and ongoing improvements.
