October 9th is celebrated as the National Stop Bullying Day and what better day to talk about the ways to stop bullying that today, right? Contrary to popular belief, bullying does have a grave impact on a kid’s overall mental and physical well being. The constant string of curse words and the silent beating can take a toll on an individual’s mental health, making it hard to analyse the kind of impacts one is leaving behind.
All that being said, bullying is a serious matter than needs very delicate analysis. You just can’t ramble a kid and make them confess the kind of constant torture that they are experiencing in school. Personal struggles aside; it is often very tough for people to acknowledge that they are the weaker ones who are constantly being played with.
In such situations, knowing the ways to stop bullying can definitely help save a life that you didn’t even think was possible.
Pay close attention
The very first and possibly the most important way to get rid of the condition of bullying is by paying attention. If you have someone in your friends or family suddenly changes their demeanor, it could possibly be a red alert for something you need to pay close attention to.
Not just the behaviour, if you have been witnessing your kid coming home with bruises that weren’t there in the morning, ask them. It could be that they fell down while playing but if that isn’t the case, you need to make an intervention to get them out of the dark pits of this.
Paying attention can help save lives that you didn’t even know needed saving. Talk to someone close to you and ask them what’s bothering them. Sometimes, it is the little changes that make all the difference.
Take it seriously
One of the primary reasons why bullying is such a massive point of concern is because many parents and friends don’t take it seriously. If your kid is coming and telling you that they are being bullied at school, you need to take that seriously. For the most part, it does become a lot harder for people to manage the condition.
If you have been approached by your kid, telling you that they have been experiencing such kind of things at school, you need to take a step back and assess things. Don’t blame your kid saying they are the weak ones. Nobody should use violence to tame violence. If your kid is coming and telling you their problems, you need to make an intervention.
Let them know that they are being heard. This itself will cut down a lot of the problems and can help assure the kid of their safety.
Don’t stay silent
One of the primary reasons why bullying is becoming so extensive in schools and universities is because of the lack of retaliation. Kids often see their school mate or class mate getting bullied by the “popular” bunch of kids in the school but say nothing in fear that they will start getting beaten up.
This is where the problem is. If you stand up as an unity against 2-3 kids who are bullying a child, they won’t have the power over you. Outnumber them because that is the best way to stop bullying. Once they know that the “silent and polite” kids aren’t alone, they won’t have the courage to do anything against that.
Don’t stay silent when you see a kid being bullied. Stand up against the bullies and if possible, get more people to be on your side.
Use your calming nature
When you are trying to intervene a situation or an act of bullying, don’t lash out on the other student. Instead, stay calm and try and find ways that can help in managing the situation better.
Violence is never the answer and that is something you need to understand as well. Once you know that, it does become a lot easier for you to handle the situation without any issues as such.
Talk to the bully about why they are beating a kid and try and take them away from the situation. This itself does cut down on a lot of the issues altogether.
Listen first
Many people have the habit of judging before listening to what the problem is. This is where the problem arises. If you want to effectively get rid of the problem of bullying, you need to listen first.
Listening goes both ways. You need to make the bully sit down and talk as well as the kid being bullied. Listening to both the sides of the stories can effectively help in getting a better look at the broader picture. Once you know what the problem is, approaching for the intervention becomes a lot easier for you.
When it comes to the ways to stop bullying, it all comes to the situation at hand. There is not a standard specimen for you to follow through. You need to look through the possibilities at hand and then assess the damage caused and then find ways to mitigate the problem. For the most part, it all depends on how well you handle the situations. Don’t let violence take its course. Be calm and understand what is causing the problem and plan an intervention accordingly.
By Somapika Dutta
