Stop The Bullying

Bullying is a global issue and many researches are being carried out on it. Lots of statistics abound from different countries and persons susceptible to bullying are children and teenagers usually between 5 and 16 years. Adults are not left out though. A lot of bullying takes in workplaces and women are mostly the victims.

On my way to work two weeks ago, i witnessed a scene that triggered childhood memories. Memories from my primary school days. So what i saw what this big boned, tall boy beating up a very smallish boy on their way to school. The sheer difference in their body sizes would have been comical under other circumstances but it was not a funny sight to behold.

Apparently, this had been the big boy’s modus operandi every single morning. He beats the other boy up, takes his lunch money and any other thing he deems valuable and runs off. But he was unlucky today.

The bullied boy had tried reporting several times but his teachers never do anything about it. Myself and another guy, took hold of them, drove to their school which was fortunately close by. We went straight to the Principal’s office and demanded something be done about the bully. After dilly dallying about evidence that the boy had infact been reporting the bullying acts, the bully’s parents were summoned. We could not wait to see the parents though (was running late for work) but i had a chat with the boy who was bullying the other chap.

This triggered memories of my primary schools days like i said earlier. Yours truly was a victim of bullying for several years while i was in the primary school (no one dares do that now. No matter your size or standing in society!). There were these two boys who were virtually terrorists in school. For some reasons, they singled me and my cousin out. Simply to bully us.

They would come during lunch break and demand for our lunch monies with threats that if we told anyone, they would beat us up! The acts continued and degenerated to a few slaps here and there when no one is watching. At times, they would threaten us to follow them to a block of classrooms which was always quiet. I can’t recollect how the bullying stopped though but i never ever gave anyone the opportunity to bully me again.

There are bullies virtually everywhere. At school, offices, market places, homes even in Churches. Yes, even in Churches. You find bullies just about anywhere there is a “congregation”. Schools and office bullies are probably the worst and most predominant.

Bullying is not just outright beatings. Bullying could be also be psychological in nature. This is perhaps the most common type of bullying at work places.

If you are the type of boss that belittles a subordinate to other colleagues because you are jealous he/she is very knowledgeable on the job, you are a bully. If you are the sort of boss that would rather “correct” a subordinate in a crowded meeting because you derive some twisted satisfaction from doing such things, you are a bully!

Are you the sort of sister and brother that preaches fire and brimstone because someone else is looking better and doing better than you in the Church? Oh, i am the holiest one. If you are succeeding more than i, then you must be doing something sinful. Know that you are a bully. You are not just a bully but a loser also.

Are you the kind of man that picks on his wife and kids for no reason because “you are the head” of the family and believe you have the right to beat or abuse your wife and kids? You are a bully, a loser and definitely not a man.

You young boy, girl beating your classmates, mocking them at every turn. Hiding stuffs in school to cause pain and embarrassment, you are a bully.

Faced by a bully? Don’t be scared. Bullies hide their shortcomings behind bullying. They are not tough as they would want you to believe! Stand up to them. Everytime. You will see them backing off and taking on another weak victim.

If you are a bully, it is time to stop. Seek help. A soul search will help in the quest. Ask yourself why you derive pleasure from making people cower in fear, what you gain from the fear you feel from your victims. If you are true to yourself, you will discover that deep inside you, there is remorse and fear. That’s the first step towards stopping.

Parents, guardians, friends, tell your wards that bullying is a No No. There is too much going on in the world right now and we do not need bullying. What we need is love.

A lot of teenagers are committing suicides because they are being bullied. They may have tried to talk to their parents, friends etc who didn’t think there was nothing to it and didn’t take them seriously. So let’s educate  our wards.

Stop the bullying. At work and in schools. At Churches and in the marketplace. Stop the bullying anywhere and everywhere. Make your environment a “NO BULLY ZONE”.

You all know i love hearing from you. Keep the conversation going!

Have a productive week fam.

Jennifer Pompaski

To each, his/her own. That is why we all are uniquely different.