Be A Buddy, Not a Bully

Most of us have been educated on cyberbullying, but is there a possibility that more bullies are taking to the screens? If you’ve read our previous article about privacy, you know that the surge of online usage is not always the best thing. This is the same case with bullying.

The most important thing to know about cyberbullying is people find it easier to be mean behind a screen. Kids can now make anonymous comments on someone’s weight or their looks. Because it’s anonymous, eighty-one percent of kids think they can’t get caught. Most of our interactions with other people are online because of the pandemic. This gives kids a higher risk of having negative interactions online. These interactions can cause depression, other serious mental illnesses, and can even cause grades to drop.

With everything in our lives being online these days, it seems that cyberbullying is increasing at a fast rate. In 2019, fifteen percent of children were bullied online. Most of the bullying two years ago was in person. However, in 2020, bullying increased by seventy percent during the start of the lockdown. EdAllies said last March “60% of parents with children aged 14 to 18 reported them being bullied.” These statistics are very alarming. This really makes us question if we are safe on the internet.

For us to truly understand the pain caused by bullying we need to look at a real story. An eleven-year-old girl from Washington D.C. was emailed by one of her classmates. The email was absolutely atrocious. It made included unnecessary comments on the girl’s outer beauty. This left her devastated beyond what words can explain. Almost every story that you’ve heard about bullying ends with,” The bullying got so bad that she didn’t want to go to school.” In this case, this is exactly what happened, except that she didn’t even have to leave her house to go to school. Because of the pandemic, her schooling took place on Zoom. She refused to go to virtual school because the comments the bully made were that bad.

This is only one story among millions. Bullying is a serious problem, and there are ways to prevent it. For parents, the number one thing you can do get involved with your kid’s life. Talk to your child and keep an eye on their behavior. If you can spot bullying early, it can save your child a lot of pain. Teachers and schools are also important in the prevention of bullying. Frisco ISD is trying to put a stop to bullying by using the StopIt app. It is an app that kids can use to report bullying anonymously. With the StopIt app, kids don’t have to worry about being called a snitch. If you’ve ever heard someone call cyberbullying a crime, that’s because it technically is. Most people don’t know that there are actually laws that can fine a cyberbully. They could even go to jail for this crime.

If you’ve ever dealt with bullying, you know that it can make you feel insecure. Insecurity is one of the main causes of mental illnesses and disorders. The saddest part is that the bullies aren’t the ones that are to blame. They only hurt other people because they have been hurt too. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. If you are going through anything, bullying or not, the most important thing to know is that you aren’t alone. You might feel like you are, but there is always someone you can reach out to.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available twenty-four/seven.

1-800-273-8255

Feel free to reach out to the Delphi for more ways to get help!

thedelphinews@gmail.com