Bullying stories can be found everywhere. Just about every person has experienced bullying in some form or another and has bullying stories to share. Many share their bullying stories in hopes that it will help those being bullied find a voice toward help and resolution.

As organizations across the country take up the bullying cause, more people are sharing their bullying stories to help prevent bullying in schools and among teens and children. Celebrities and other well-known individuals are just some of those joining the activist cause to help put an end to bullying of all types. There are many types of bullying including physical assault, teasing, spreading rumors and cyber bullying. All of these types of bullying can have devastating effects on a person’s self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. Hearing some of these bullying stories might help those being bullied find a way to stand up for themselves or to seek help from their situation.

Bullying Stories:

Unfortunately some bullying stories do not have happy endings. Recent media reports tell the story of a young man who was bullied so much for his sexual orientation that he took his own life. These kinds of situations are referred to as bullycide – where a person commits suicide as a result of being bullied. Bullying can be one of the toughest things an adolescent faces in their  young life. They will feel isolated and ostracized from their peers. They will lose all feelings of self-worth causing their self-esteem to plummet. Many bullying stories report that these teens feel they don’t have a way to stand up for themselves or anyone to turn to when the bullying begins to take over their life. They feel that if they report the bullying that it will only get worse. Listening to these bullying stories might  help those individuals realize they do have a place to turn for help and support during such a trying time in their adolescence.

Reasons for Bullying:

There are many reasons teens choose to bully one another. Many teens are bullied themselves and turn on other teens to help feel better about themselves. Other teens like the feeling of power and respect they get when they become a bully. Some teens and even children who bully are simply ignorant and close minded. These are very unfortunate situations that need to be stopped before more tragic situations of bullycide and other devastating emotional effects occur.

Teens are often bullied for a bunch of reasons including their sexual preference, gender, religious affiliation, socio-economic background, intelligence, disabilities, talents, interests and so much more. Many teens can be so mean to each other for almost no reason. Unfortunately the effects of these bullying situations don’t end well in many situations. Teens are so emotionally damaged, they can take these feelings and bottle them up in an unhealthy way. They may develop problems with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, self-mutilation and even suicidal thoughts or tendencies. Because the power of bullying can be so devastating, it is important for parents to watch for the signs that their teen might be being bullied, or to come up with ways to help protect their child from being bullied in the first place. Many schools are also taking an active stand against bullying by putting in place effective consequences and repercussions for teens that still try to attempt and bully their peers.

How To Prevent Bullying:

Everyone should take an active stance against bullying including parents, teachers, school administrators as well as teens themselves. If teens see an act of bullying, they should  immediately report it to a parent or teacher. Because teens are the ones that are most likely to see the acts of bullying occur. Because of this, they are the ones that are going to be the most able to actively prevent bullying from occurring. It is important as a parent to stress this to your teen. Encourage them to take a stand against bullying and to report it if they see it happening. It is also important for teens to notify their parents if they feel they are being bullied. Actively communicating about these topics is the best way for teens to feel comfortable talking about their concerns to their parents. This can stop bullying from getting worse and can help limit the amount of emotional damage a teen feels/experiences when bullied. Parents also need to help prepare their teens for these kinds of instances and encourage their own teens to be kind and understanding to their peers regardless of what differences they might have. Putting a stop to bullying stories in general is a great way to help put an end to bullying.

Sources:trivalleycentral.com