And it’s true. I know it. You know it. But what do we do
about bullying? Most of us are bystanders watching the events unfold, if that
is to mean watching statuses posted on line, verbal or physical.
But bullying is not just relevant in a middle school or high school setting. Become aware that bullying happens in every school, at every age. The idea is not to brush off the situation. Now after being the victim, perspective change.
Two years. Two consecutive
years. By two different people.
At the naïve age of 8, I didn’t
know. I didn’t push away the fact that I was being threatened, but I evaded
questioning why it was happening.
I avoided him. Yet it was
constant. I couldn’t get away. The words were thrown at me in our small groups.
But I didn’t want to tattle. I didn’t want to find trouble, if that meant I
dealt with the threats of being killed, then so be it.
It was in the corner of the
classroom that I remember him stating, “I’m going to kill you. I’ll take a
knife and slit your throat.” Or another common one; “I have a gun. I’m going to
find you and shoot you.”
As an eight-year-old I didn’t
know how to react. I knew it wasn’t normal. Kids in my small group just
watched. Their mouths silence. And I was alone. Not a word was ever spoken
about the reoccurring event.
With the third-grade rolling
around the following year, to say the least, I was relived. Until I was
targeted again.
Another student decided it was
ok to, again, verbally abuse. Yet this time instead of just in the classroom,
it was at recess too. I couldn’t escape. I tried to continue playing with my
friends, but it wouldn’t always work like that. He began to snag my friends
form underneath me, promising them that he was better, saying that I didn’t
need friends. And that they were not allowed to talk to me anymore.
The two years were rough. But looking back these events
created who I am. I’ve become more aware of the circumstances around me. And
with October here, it’s time to advocate for Anti-Bully Awareness Month.
It is never ok to sit back and watch the bullying happen.
That makes a situation ten times worse. It makes you feel like you are stuck in
the same position. There are programs dedicated toward the prevention of
bullies. And even in music you can find liberating messages.
For Sara Bareilles, her song “Brave” is leaving in its
wake a message to take a stand and be who you are.
“It’s acknowledging our own internal silence,” Bareilles said, “What are we not speaking out loud because we are afraid of what that might expose us to, if that is judgment, criticism or vulnerability?”
This song is for encouragement and motivation to stand up
for ourselves, mostly, but for others as well. Because you are recognizing that
something is wrong, or you’re not acting yourself, it gives you power to
change. Rise above the chamber that’s confining you, and breaking the chains
that bind you in darkness.
“Letting the light in is a metaphor
to the truth,” Bareilles said. “It is such a beautiful, broad concept.”
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You don’t have to look far for
comfort. Standing up is a way to grow into your own skin. It teaches fearlessness
and courageousness.
If a friend is not someone you can
lean on, there are people who have been in your shoes. No matter what you
believe. Someone is experiencing pain, just as you are.
And I find it easiest to find
meaning within lyrics, if that maybe on the radio, on the internet, or
elsewhere. You can always find lyrics that are connectable to describe you
situation. Always.
To read Anti-Bullying from The New York
Times:
To listen to Sara Bareilles “Track-by-Track”
Commentary of Brave:
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