5 Facts Why Bullying Exists and The reason Behind It

Stop cyber bullying (source)

So bullying has been a hot topic for years, and now with how integrated social media is in our lives, it can be hard to escape for some people. But for something that we all experience at least once in our lives, very few people fully understand the problem, which is evident by how bullying is actually on the rise. So in this Facts in Five, I'm going to explain everything that you need to know about bullying in five minutes or less so that you can be better educated to not only deal with it yourself but possibly help others. The average physical encounter with a bully lasts about 37 seconds, but internet bullying can last for days or even weeks. But both have a lasting impact on people of any age. So let's dive right into it.

This is Facts in Five, all about bullying.

1. So what is bullying?

Well, the term bullying refers to the act of abuse, intimidation or forced control over another person through the use of physical violence, verbal or emotional attacks or the threat that any of those three may happen. As I mentioned, in recent years, cyberbullying has revealed its existence, causing emotional and reputational damage to thousands upon thousands of people without any signs that it's going to stop anytime soon. Typically, both online bullying and real life bullying happen through the use of coercion, the attackers threatening and intimidating their victims into submission just to get what they want, which sometimes is, sadly, just to hurt the other person.

2. Who are bullies?

Well, finding the bully demographic is pretty difficult, especially when the definition of what constitutes bullying seems to not only differ depending on where you are in the world, but also because of the new ways that are invented far too often in which to bully someone. As it turns out, girls tend to bully in groups more than boys do, though they prefer to use verbal attacks against other girls, while boys tend to use physical intimidation and threats. And alarmingly, despite how much the media has been covering the topic, bullying is actually on the rise, with more and more young people turning to it. And this is especially true when there's a clear difference between the social class of the attacker and the victim.

3. Where do bullies come from?

The word bully comes from the Dutch for lover or brother, boele, so obviously, it was once a term of endearment, kind of like saying sweetheart. It wasn't until the late 17th century that bully meant harasser of the weak. Today, bullies are an international issue, with victims in pretty much every country on the planet. But what many people don't realize is that often, bullies are also victims, paying the harassment forward. Known as bully-victims, they grew up with the impression that abuse is simply a way of life. Many bullies come from poorer backgrounds, but not just financially. They can feel unsupported, unloved or completely useless as if inflicting fear and intimidation on others will give their lives meaning.

4. When can someone be bullied?

First, there are some factors that can lead to someone becoming a bullying victim, and secondly, there's really no age limit to bullying. It happens in the workplace among adults, as if they're still in their high school hallway, so no matter what age you are, just know that you're not alone. Research shows that excessively controlling parents, physical or mental disabilities, illness, phobias, and even just having a passive personality can be factors in how often and how severely a person is bullied. Similar studies have shown that nearly 60% of all children are bullied at some point in their lives, and even worse, 10% are bullied on a regular basis. This can lead to some very alarming actions, including more and more parents who are actually allowing their young children to get plastic surgery to correct a deformity that they're being made fun of for. It's truly sad.

5. So why is bullying such a problem?

Well, obviously nobody, especially a child, enjoys being bullied, but such harassment can come with lasting psychological damage. On top of that, the lengths that some bullies will go to inflict mental or physical damage is truly shocking. Over 12% of kids with food allergies have been threatened or assaulted by bullies with the very thing that they're allergic to. To put that into perspective, that means that over 360,000 children have been exposed to something that could potentially seriously damage or even kill them. And teachers, well, they're only aware of about 4% of bullying incidents. That's one in every 25 occurrences. What's potentially most terrifying is that the actions that many victims are taking are resorting to drugs, alcohol, seclusion, or even unfortunately, taking their own lives. Obviously, bullying both offline and online is a huge problem right now, but if you wanna know what you can do, just be a good person. Treat everyone with the same kindness and respect that you would want. And honestly, learn to celebrate people's differences, because that's what makes life interesting. What if every single person was like you? That'd be a little boring, come on now. It's like talking to yourself every day.

Thank you guys so much for reading. If you enjoyed this, I very much appreciate you give a comment below and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. I'll see you guys next time, bye.