Jargon Free Forum

The Issue- Bullying

Bullying is an aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power or strength. Typically, it is repeated over time. A child who is being bullied, has a hard time defending him or herself. Bullying can take many forms, such as hitting or punching (physical bullying); teasing or name calling (verbal bullying); intimidation using gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying); and sending insulting messages by e-mail (cyber bullying).

• Stresses of being bullied can interfere with student's engagement and learning in school. 
• Children and youth who are bullied are more likely than other children to be depressed, lonely, anxious, have low self-esteem, feel unwell and think about suicide.
• Students who are bullied may fear going to school, using the bathroom, and riding on the school bus. 
• Research shows that bullying can be a sign of other serious antisocial or violent behavior. Children and youth who frequently bully their peers are more likely than others to get into frequent fights, be injured in a fight, vandalize or steal property, drink alcohol, smoke, be truant from school, drop out of school, and carry a weapon. 
• Bullying also has an impact on other students at school who are bystanders to bullying. Bullying creates a climate of fear and disrespect in schools and has a negative impact on student learning.

Pre-session assessment

Questions for individuals 

What is the best thing you like about your school? A: The student replied that he likes the teachers and classmates in his school. Have you ever received comments on your looks that you don't like? A: The student replied that he has never received such comments, but other students have received comments such as "you're black," "haddi," "mota," etc., and they don't like it at all. Do you enjoy making fun of others with your group of friends? A: The student replied that he does enjoy it, but his intention is not to hurt anyone, he just does it for fun. He added that everyone in the classroom gives comments to each other but just for fun. Have people made fun of you because you're not financially stable? A: The student responded that he has never received such comments and no other students have either. Have people made fun of you for your daily routine activities such as studying and respecting everyone? A: The student replied that he doesn't receive any comments, and nobody makes fun of him. Have you ever felt excluded from the class? A: The student replied that he has never felt that he is not part of the class. Has anyone spread rumors about you? A: The student replied that his classmates have spread rumors about him, but they were baseless. Have you ever received any threats? A: The student replied that he has received many threats from his classmates, but he was never threatened because it was all useless and just for fun. Do you feel safe on the way to school? A: The student replied that she doesn't feel safe coming to school because there is a beer shop on her way, and people tease her on that road. Do you make fun of other students because they make fun of you, too? A: The student replied that he does make fun of other students, but he doesn't feel bad about it because everyone does the same thing to each other. Have you ever been teased because of your shy nature? A: The student replied that his sisters have teased him because of his shy nature and told him that he behaves like a girl. Do you tease your friends just to cheer yourself up? A: The student replied that he does that all the time and thinks that nobody is offended by his words. Have you ever been teased on social media? A: The student replied that she gets a lot of messages and fake friend requests on social media.

Question for all students

What is your understanding of the term "bully"? Students replied that they were not aware of the term. What forms of bullying are you aware of? Students replied that they were also not aware of this. What do you think about kids who bully others, according to your perception? Some students responded that bullies are big, muscular, powerful, use bad language, lack manners, are fearless, rude, always in a fun mood, and fashionable. What do you think about kids who are bullied by others, according to your perception? Students replied that kids who are bullied by others are innocent, shy, studious, powerless, fearful, and simple. Why do you think you would join a bullying group? Some students replied that if they do not join the bullying group, they may become a victim of the bullied group, and their classmates may think that they are dumb for not being a part of the group. Some students replied that they love to be in a bullying group because they want to be in power. Some students replied that being in power is always important, otherwise people will not give them importance. Have you ever considered how your actions or words could hurt another person's feelings? Students replied that they never consider the emotions and feelings of others because they do it just for fun and have no intention to hurt anyone else. Is bullying different for boys and girls? Students responded that yes, people tease each other differently. With boys, physical teasing is more common, but with girls, verbal teasing is more common. How would you feel if your friends said bad things to you? Students replied that they would not like it if someone disrespected them or made fun of them in front of others.

Activity conducted during the session

Movie Screening: "Aasha - Ek Hope" Anti-Bullying Film - https://youtu.be/F2aKZgGqeHw. This silent movie depicts a group of friends who bully one of their own in various ways, causing him to become depressed and sad. "Stop Cyber Bullying" - https://youtu.be/hk3LCAfq330. Cyberbullying is the use of cell phones, instant messaging, email, chat rooms, or social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to harass, threaten, or intimidate someone. Cyberbullying is often done by children who have early access to these technologies. Bullies can hide behind a pseudonymous username, making it difficult to trace the source and encouraging them to behave more aggressively than they might if they were identified. "Strain" - Anti-Bullying Short Film - https://youtu.be/tXI79v0l-QE. This 11-minute "silent" video powerfully depicts two best friends who have a falling out when one of them joins a dangerous clique in high school. Their friendship tries to survive in secret, but on the night of the big Spring Formal, loyalties are tested, ties are severed, and friendships end with devastating consequences. "Anti-Bullying Animated Movie" - https://youtu.be/YyDJafzuUK4. This video was created by a student at Veterans Memorial High School. Bullying can be stopped.

Post session assessment

Why do you think most students don't complain to anyone? - Students replied that they believe if they express their concerns to someone, no one will take them seriously and they will be considered dumb and weak. They feel like it's all just a joke. Are you aware that the suicide rate for high school students is very high, and many teens commit suicide as a result of bullying? - Students mentioned that they are not aware that bullying is one of the causes of suicide. How many types of bullying do you know now? - Students replied that there are four types of bullying: verbal bullying, social bullying, physical bullying, and cyberbullying. What is the most common thing you observed in all movies? - Students answered that in all the movies, the victims committed suicide as there were no other options left. What impact do you think the movie "Aasha" would have on that boy? - Students replied that if he shares his problems with anyone, people will make fun of him and think he is dumb. He will not trust anybody and will exclude himself, leading to stress. How can bullying be prevented? - Students responded that they can share their problems with their elders and not bear this tension in their minds. What is the saddest part of all the movies? - Students replied that the suicide part is the saddest part of all the movies.