Bullying: A traumatic experience for teenagers

Simran Mehta

Watching your friends experience the physical and emotional pain of bullying or cyberbullying is heart breaking, upsetting.

Bullies pick on other students because of their appearance, behaviour, race, religion, social status or sexual identity. Bullies deliberately target and humiliate other students, specifically those who are smaller, weaker, younger or in any way more vulnerable than them.

Bullying is when someone is picked on by a person or group. Bullies might make fun of people who they think don’t fit in. A bully intends to cause pain, either through physical harm or hurtful words or behaviour, and does so repeatedly. Bullying is a pattern of behaviour, rather than an isolated incident.

Children who bully usually come from a perceived higher social status or position of power, such as children who are bigger, stronger, or perceived to be popular.

Teenagers constantly suffer from peer pressure. They feel pressurised to be a member of the popular clique and start taking reckless steps to improve their social status by dominating others. They might not even realise that they are bullying their peers unless they are constantly pointed out. This “pointing out” usually never happens because the bystanders are afraid that they might become the next target of the bully.

Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen while travelling to or from school, in the neighbourhood, or on the Internet.

Verbal bullying includes name calling, teasing, putting someone down or threatening to cause someone harm. Physical bullying is any bullying that hurts someone’s body or damages their possessions. Stealing, shoving, hitting, fighting, and intentionally destroying someone’s property are types of physical bullying. Lying, spreading rumours, playing horrible jokes, leaving someone out on purpose, embarrassing someone in public, all are forms of social bullying.

Cyberbullying often occurs over social media, text messages, email, or any online platform where children interact. Unlike in-person bullying, cyberbullying can reach a victim anywhere, at any moment. It can cause profound harm, as it can quickly reach a wide audience and leave a permanent footprint online for all involved.

Bullying can have harmful and long lasting consequences, especially on teens. Besides the physical effects of bullying, teenagers may experience emotional and mental health problems, including depression and anxiety that can lead to substance abuse and decreased performance in school. While some people find it very easy to ignore a bully, others may find it very difficult and reach a breaking point. There have been cases of apparent bullying suicides However, there are some ways to deal with bullying. One can share the information with a trusted adult or friend. It’s vital to report bullying if it threatens to lead to physical danger or mental harm.

The writer is a student of Class X, YPS, Mohali