Bullying is currently the biggest hot button issue for parents across the nation. We live in an era of open communication and acceptance, so bullying has risen as the issue most in conflict with these notions. The idea that one person would abuse their power or stature upon one weaker than themselves has proven itself to be an awful tactic of the cruelest Social Darwinism. There are quite a few ways to deal with bullying, and The Nation’s Journal is here to sort them out.
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1. Air It Out
Step one to confront bullying: confront it. If you feel someone is being a bully, tell them. Make it clear that you are upset and/or uncomfortable with their treatment of you. If they are any ort of decent person, they will hear what you are saying and work with you to reach a new understanding. My talking it out immediately, you can try to avoid future problems for wither party. Open communication, as you’ll see, is always the key to solving almost all of the problems you’ll face.
2. Higher Ups
Say you’ve confronted the bully, only to go nowhere fast. What do you do now? Bullying is a question of power and authority. If you’ve already exercised your rights as an individual and it didn’t work, then go higher. Consult a person of authority. It could be a parent or teacher if you’re young. If you’re not, try a boss or an HR representative. If it’s one of those positions doing the bullying, then go even higher than them. There’s almost always someone you can talk to.
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3. The Public Face of Shame
Bullies love to feel powerful or in control. Subverting them is like subverting any tyrant: get the public on your side. If you can’t stop them one on one, organize things in such a way that you’re not alone. Get in touch with our support group to form a powerful wall. Make a clear public statement about your treatment. It’s an imprecise method, but shaming the bully publicly diminishes the source of their power. They appear weak and lose the influence they were seeking.
4. Sound of Silence
Further consideration can be put upon the notion of solitude, in a way. Ignoring a bully could very well be the cure for your ills. Some bullies are purely on a reactionary power trip. They love the reaction to their baseless cruelty. If you shut them out,it may drive them off. This is not a perfect method, since some bullies will escalate their methods, but it is an option. The deprivation of a response may shut down the stimulus. It’s a chance to take for peace.
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5. Strike Back
The final option to consider is a direct confrontation. This is not recommended or necessarily approved of, but it is something that needs to be considered. Violence and bullying may well goad the victim into counter-violence or counter-bullying. This doesn’t address the real problem at hand, but by scaring off someone ho felt a sense of power over another, it may scare them off. They might seek out other targets, but bullies generally only go after weaker people.
6. The Splendid Source
Bullying should be considered a symptom of a bigger problem. Hobbes fancied the world a nasty and brutish place, but there is a cause behind everything. A young child acting as a bully may be struggling at home or with school. an adult bully might be going through something behind the scenes of the office or environment you see them in. If there’s a chance to address the behind the scenes problem, you should take it. A bully may just be someone who doesn’t know they need a friend.
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