Bullies are cowards who hide under the mask of being a monster, in order to feed off the trauma they cause. They can be anyone, in any occupation, and coerce people into doing things they don’t want to at any stage.
It has been an age-old practice meted out to victims by way of an individual, a group, or in the form of an entire culture. With the onset of technology, cyber-bullying has also become a matter of concern.
Psycho-social support both to the victims and the bullies can go a long way in preventing the short- and long-term ramifications of this woeful practice.
Bullying lowers the self-esteem of the individual to a disastrous extent. They relentlessly blame themselves for the injustice happening to them, while not being able to talk to their guardians, teachers, and parents.
Psychosomatic symptoms like aches and fatigue constantly make the individual dissolve into disappointment. Students have reduced academic performance while not wanting to be a part of family or social gatherings.
The bully is also not spared as in the long run, substance abuse, addictions, violence, criminal way of thinking, anti-social behaviour, less likely to hold down a job or a relationship all cause the individual to suffer irreparable damage.
Bullying is a social menace that has destroyed a number of families, the only way to deal with this is counselling. Children have to be counselled as to what is bullying and why is it wrong to be at either end of it.
A victim who refuses to voice their suffering or a person who observes from the side-lines is in no way better than the bully themselves.
An example has to be set, to explain how we are free to be whoever we are without fear of ridicule or punishment. Once it is exemplified that this freedom is our right and no one can take it from us, automatically the outlook will undergo a positive transition.
A bullying partner hampers even relationships by being over-critical, explaining why no one can ever be good enough, refuses to listen, discourages from putting forward, or even having a point of view. Sometimes it can also take the form of physical abuse. They treat their partner as a mistake that has to be rectified.
Bullies are only as powerful as we imagine them to be. When we see them as they truly are, we can lessen their hold on us till it is non-existent.
Cyber-bullying is also one of the major causes for individuals to plunge into depression and ultimately commit suicide. Obscene comments or comments containing foul language, black-mailing, character assassination, defamation, and being judgemental are some of the tactics adopted by cyber-bullies.
A number of people remember instances where they were bullied as the worst moments of their life. Often victims themselves become bullies when they enter a certain position of power, as seen in colleges and offices.
If children and adults alike have a family support system to fall back on or know that they can seek help. Bullying will inevitably stop being a menace.
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