I grew up in a small Kansas town and on the surface, my childhood seemed normal. However, it wasn’t even close to normal. Starting when I was in second grade, I was bullied by students from the high school. My father was the principal in charge of discipline, and when kids got into trouble, they took it out on me. This lasted through my middle school years. I was bullied almost daily and physically attacked weekly. When I reached high school the bullying didn’t stop. It actually increased, but I was better able to handle myself. It wasn’t just kids but parents, teachers, citizens, and coaches. I’ve learned through my fifty-five years that bullying is everywhere and it does damage years after it happens.

Why do people bully? When people feel powerless in their own lives, they can in turn treat people the same way they have been treated. It works the opposite way as well. When people are treated with respect and love they also return the favor to others. Bullying is rewarded, especially in adult life. In many work situations, a person bullies to whip people into shape and get things done. If they get results, they are rewarded. The main reason someone is a bully is to gain control. There could be countless reasons why people need to have control, but a common reason is when a person has no control at home. They may compensate by trying to control their outside surroundings. 

According to www.betterhelp.com here is how to handle a situation if you are being bullied.

1. Act quickly. The longer the bullying goes on the harder it is to stop.

2. Stay neutral (which is hard to do when someone is trying to make you angry).

3. Tell a trusted adult (it could be a teacher, coworker, or human resources). Anyone you trust can help.

4. Stand up to the bully in the best you can, since bullies prey on people who appear weak. Bullies get frustrated when there isn’t easy prey.

5. Find a support group. Bullies usually do not want to engage when there are more than two people.

When I was growing up I didn’t tell any adult because I was afraid my parents would overreact and cause more problems. I should have told other adults. Being bullied is not easy to handle, but the sooner it is handled the happier a person will be in the long run. The mistake adults make is only focusing on bullying with children, yet ignoring when it happens daily at work or in other adult situations. When adults can start ridding themselves of bullying, it will be a better example for children and help to slow the spread of bullying.

Missouri River Regional Library has a lot of information and resources on how to stop bullying. You can find resources on our website, or just stop in and ask for help locating them!