Bullying and Its Reasons, by Maryam Sani Yahaya

Have you ever been bullied by anyone? Have you ever experienced a person being bullied? Recently, the number of harassment incidents have increased in our society, which leaves a negative impression on the victim’s life.

Bullying occurs in all regions of the globe, particularly in schools among children due to the absence of adult supervision. In schools, hitting or pushing is usually expected. World Health Organization (WHO) reported “In a survey of 144 countries, 19% of students aged 13 to 15 reported being bullied in the past month.

While at public places, such as streets, workplaces and outdoor areas, emotional or verbal bullying happens to insult or tease another person. Likewise, cyberbullying exists on the internet and social media to spread lies and rumours about a person to isolate him socially. About 37% of young people between ages 12-17 have been bullied online, and 30% have had it happen more than once

The bully never thinks good about individuals. They lack empathy and carry negligence about others’ feelings. Bullying begins when a person is sensitive about something specific, and this weak point is a chance for the bully to disturb others intentionally and make them furious.

People enjoy bullying others for fun to show how robust they are. They think of themselves as superior to others. Often their purpose is to gain popularity amongst their circle and lessen the influence of another person to achieve a higher social status. They desire to gain the attention of other people.

According to a 2022 meta-analysis of bullying’s effects, people who are frequently bullied are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression and anxiety. Additionally, a longitudinal study found that 15% of people who experienced bullying reported suicidal ideation, compared to 4% of those who were not.

Bullying is a massive problem, but it isn’t necessary to keep coping with and fearing the bully. It is possible to stop it by ignoring them and their actions .Pretend to feel very courageous and confident in front of them.

Furthermore, improving your self-defence skills is always an option to avoid being a victim of physical bullying. You can always take your case to a higher authority, so the bully gets a deserving punishment and can prevent more people from sharing the same fate as you.