Bullying and Its Devastating Impact

Since the year 2006, October has been declared National Bullying Prevention Month in an effort to bring awareness to the prevalence of bullying, as well as the devastating effect it can have on both children and adults. Bullying comes in many forms and can include verbal and physical abuse and social exclusion, and it can take place in-person or online through social media, emails or texts. Bullying can have a lasting impact on those affected, with outcomes including lower self-esteem, poor school or work performance, limited social interactions, and increased mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

You may think bullying does not have an impact on anyone you know; however the statistics say otherwise. According to the website stopbullying.gov, as of the year 2019, approximately 1 in 5 students in grades 9-12 report being bullied. Additionally, statistics published on Workplacebullying.org show 30% — 76.3 million — workers are affected by bullying. With these numbers so high, it is imperative we all play an active role in preventing bullying.

__Ways to combat bullying in children include:__

1. Talk with kids about what bullying is and how to get help if they are being bullied.

2. Check in often with kids, get involved with what is going on at school and know their friends.

3. Encourage participation in activities they enjoy to help them make friends and protect them from bullying behaviors.

4. Be a good role model and show kids how to treat others with dignity and respect.

__Ways to combat bullying in adults include:__

1. Acknowledge the bullying behavior for what it is.

2. End relationships with a bully if their behavior does not change once confronted.

3. Seek the help of a professional counselor/therapist to assist in the healing process by treating conditions that arise because of bullying.

Other helpful bullying prevention resources include www.pacer.org and www.stopbullying.gov.

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