Al-Madinah

We have recently started to hear the word “bullying” used a lot. We even read about anti-bullying events and seminars. Some people might wonder what exactly constitutes bullying?

Some references indicate that bullying is a form of violence and abuse, which is a kind of behavior that you may find in schools. Bullying is when an individual or a group of people target a weaker group or a person and attack them verbally or physically. Bullies follow the policy of threatening and intimidation.

However, bullying does not only occur in schools. It can happen in the workplace, the neighborhood or between neighbors. Bullying is more than just provocation; it is about finding joy in humiliating others and imposing one’s power on them.

There are different types of bullying. The first is verbal bullying, which is humiliating others verbally or mocking them and calling them names that they dislike, or verbally threatening them and making fun of them in public. The second is physical bullying which is harming someone by hitting him and treating him like an animal. The third is social bullying when you harm an individual by isolating him and not letting others be friends with him. The fourth is cyber bullying, which is sending false information or photos or messages about someone via social media with the objective of hurting them.

Bullying can lead to violence. A bully can become hostile and ready to attack anyone. The victim might resort to the same behavior so that others will know what it is like to be in his shoes. Bullying can cause anxiety, depression and isolation from society. It may cause students to miss activities or classes where they feel bullied, and that may make them feel lonely which might lead to suicide.

The cure for bullying is to boost your self-confidence and to make sure to steer away from violent environments. It is important to watch the behavior of your children and to build a special relationship inside the family and at school.

Bullying comes in different shapes and forms. We are seeing it in our society, in families and in the workplace. We must be careful and take time to raise awareness about this problem.

Twitter: @ibadawood