22 percent of students report being bullied during the school year, and 14.8 percent are bullied online.
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According to a 2015 study by the National Center for Educational Statistics, 22 percent of students report being bullied during the school year, while 14.8 percent are bullied online. Bullied children are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and substance abuse. In order to protect our kids, bullying prevention shouldn’t just be the job of students. Adults in the community have a responsibility to stand up for vulnerable kids as well.
As part of its Bullying Prevention Program, UPtv conducted a social experiment to see if adult strangers would stand up for a small girl being publicly bullied. At a bus stop, two older girls mercilessly picked on a younger child, making rude comments such as “Do you have any friends at all?” and “You definitely do need makeup.” The young girl sat there sheepishly, unable to stop the abuse.
After the first couple of rude comments, it appears that no one will stand up for the poor girl. Slowly, the tide turns, and adults at the bus stop chastise the bullies, saying things like “Want somebody to do that to you?” Several strangers offered the girl a safe seat with them on the bus instead of with the bullies. One man even plays harmonica for the girl to lift her spirits. The video shows how community involvement in bullying prevention can go a long way toward making schools and public places safer for vulnerable children.
(H/T UPtv)
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