Imagine the archetypal bullying scene: the bully, with a controlling and self-assured presence, looms over a defeated and abject victim. Not every instance of bullying follows this quintessential pattern- with the widespread usage of social media, a physical presence is no longer the only way to intimidate and harass a victim- but every scene has one aspect in common: the shadows lingering in the background. These shadows are bystanders, the silent spectators of bullying. They watch it unfold on their Twitter feeds or in the crowded hallways and do nothing to stop it. Bystanders, in bullying cases, often claim innocence. After all, they had no active role, so why should they face punishment? It is easy to connect the bully’s actions to
If you happen to be the bystander, your success comes from knowing not to get involved or not to get too involved, lest you yourself become an actual bully or a victim. You may even be blessed with the cherished gift of self-denial, and in such case, you are able to dismiss any vague notions that your inaction makes you complicit in the bully's trespass. Still you are human: you have an opinion, you have feelings about the matter. Maybe you sympathize with one of the sides. Maybe you wish you had the guts to be that way. Maybe you're just afraid you'll get hurt. Maybe you have something to lose; maybe that something is so valuable you're not willing to gamble it. Maybe you simply feel guilty for not getting involved. Or, maybe all you feel is relief -- relief that it's not you. Makes no difference, the bystander just stands there. Hence the name. Oh, you may be emotionally conflicted, but being a bystander is really the safest place to be. Consequently, bystanders often opt to remain bystanders.
Have you ever been a target of an individual’s cruelty and hatred? It does not necessarily have to be physical, but more like being verbally degraded or publicly humiliated. The effects bullying can have on its victims is something that may last throughout their lives, or something that may end their life(Braithwaite, Hyde, Pope, 2010).We all are well aware of childhood bullying but as evidence shows bullying does not stop on the
The bully is normally very well known; someone who is just as, if not more, guilty is nearly undetectable. This person is a bystander, and according to Tales of Bullying, being a bystander is just as bad as bullying. Bystanders just join in on the laughing. They don’t even help; they just watch bullying like it’s some sort of comedy show. Bystanders can also be people who are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They can just as easily turn into a person who stands up to bullies, but they don’t. In the end bystanders are just as, if not more, guilty than the
I read the short story “The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander” written by Barbara Coloroso. I never pictured how bad bullying was until I read this book. What I liked about this book was how the author found a way to deal with people being bullied, the bullies and the bystanders. Also how she described every type of bullying and how to prevent them. It's a very inspirational book.
In the image above, a scene of bullying is shown. Notice everyone surrounding the fight, nobody making an effort to stop it. Sometimes bystanders can be as responsible as the bully in certain situations, as they observe, encourage and enable him or her. They fear that if they stand up to the bully, that they would be bullied too. In the book “Flowers for Algernon”, many people had the opportunity to stand up for Charlie, but instead they either kept quiet or joined the
"What hurts the victim the most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander," says famous author, Elie Wiesel. According to "verywell.com," people have been bullied for their religion, skin color, and beliefs. This can cause kids to have poor self-esteem and become a bully themselves. Some kids, called bystanders, decide to sit and watch. But what's worse, bullies or bystanders? Bystanders are worse than bullies because they choose not to do anything, encourage the bully, can suffer from guilt, and face consequences for not helping.
Chapter three - How people can prevent bullying from happening. What can you do if you are the Bystander?
Bystanders accept bullying by watching and doing nothing to resolve a conflict. Just like how the U.S. knew the Holocaust was happening but didn’t get involved. Even though no one got involved, it still contributed to the problem. It contributed to making the one causing it feel powerful.
Bullying is defined as an intentional act that causes harm to others, and may involve verbal harassment, verbal or non-verbal threats, physical assault, stalking, or other methods of coercion such as manipulation, blackmail, or extortion. Without a doubt bullying, has become an increasing epidemic among individuals today. “The bulling cycle,” according to Dan Olweus, a world-renowned psychologist from Norway, there needs to be three individuals or groups of people involved: the bully, the victim and the bystander. The process begins with simple taunts and can escalate into behavior requiring legal intervention. In fact, several cases have been presented to courts for both criminal and civil prosecution. Another key factor in the progression of bullying cases is the internet. Today’s bullies need not be physically present
It is also known that bystanders play an important role in encouraging or discouraging the bully. Bystanders can be "active" by laughing and cheering on
You hear the sad stories on your local and even national news, kids who pay the ultimate price for being the victim of bullying, death. Many stories gain nationwide popularity like the story of Jamey Rodemeyer, an openly gay fourteen year old who hanged himself due to the torment he could no longer take from his bullies. Another infamous story is that of Florida teen Seath Jackson, who was brutally beaten and shot to death by his tormentors all because his ex-girlfriend had a new boyfriend who didn’t like him. Hearing stories like these often makes people wonder if there wasn’t more that could have been done to stop the bullies’ behaviors. It’s not just the bully
Tears are shed while family members and friends clutch onto each other whispering words of wonder to God. Parents watch their treasure as they get buried only this time they can never recover their precious gem ever again. Friends lose one, or their only, trustworthy outlet to vent out all their problems and secrets to. The Earth loses one more person that could’ve made some sort of difference, that person that had a life to live. All these problems have become a national issue and are the results of the large percentage of pretentious posers in American society that cause children, teens, and adults to opt out of enforcing their natural birthright; to live.
For starters, being a bystander is worse than being a bully. According to brainy experts bystanders are people who watch bulling happen and don’t try to stop it. Bystanders make the bully feel better about him or her self. If no one was there no one
Never be a bystander if someone is being bully anybody you should tell a teacher.
Every day, millions of people wake up afraid of bullies. Bullying can happen anywhere, anytime. Bullying is a big issue these days, and bullies’ actions are very unpredictable. No one knows who a bullies’ next target might be and what their reasoning is. Today, bullying can be considered more extreme than it was even ten years ago, with the advent of the internet and resulting cyber-bullying. Many celebrities and organizations are speaking out for the cause, warning others about the dangers of bullying and the sometimes-fatal consequences.