World Day Against Bullying: 3 Myths About Bullying
The day of May 2 was declared World Day Against Bullying based on a proposal from the non-profit organization International Bullying Without Borders . It is a date that is officially recognized by world-renowned institutions such as UNICEF.
Many countries also echoed the World Day Against Bullying to establish actions in society and in schools on May 2. In some places it is called World Anti-Bullying Day.
And it is that bullying is an English term that refers, in the current context, to violence and intimidation that happens in educational settings. It is a violent practice between peers, which can be physical, verbal or psychological.
Although this violence is not exclusive to schools –it can appear during the practice of a sport or in public spaces such as squares-, it is there where it has its axis. Children and adolescents spend many hours in classes, and the space becomes a small society with its power groups.
World Anti- Bullying Day is an opportunity to highlight issues that are considered myths about bullying. The problem with myths is that, by spreading, they delay the identification of many violent situations that can be avoided.
We will tell you in this article which are 4 of these myths about bullying, and how you can banish them.
1. Bullying is only physical
The very definition of bullying that is promoted on World Anti- Bullying Day realizes that violence is not only physical. It can be verbal or psychological as well.
Perhaps the psychological is the most difficult variant to identify. But let’s think about the strategies of social isolation that certain groups of children exert on others. Not repeatedly inviting someone to play is a method of segregation, for example.
On the other hand, physical violence is the most notable. Some studies suggest that there is a link between this violence in schools and that which comes from homes, creating a vicious circle from which it is difficult to get out.
Although more obvious, the physical is not always detected, since it is common for beaten children and adolescents to hide their condition from parents and teachers. That is why a lot of attention is needed from adults.
2. Violence is a child’s thing
This myth is one of the most dangerous and most widespread. For many adults, fights between children are normal, as is the use of physical violence to resolve them.
If a small account at home that he has been beaten and receives even a reprimand from his parents, forcing him to defend himself and return the violence, the bullying is being hidden . Ultimately, this myth further buries the possibility of tackling the problem, since it feeds it.
The World Day Against Bullying aims to stimulate the constructive dialogue of children and adults to move towards less punitive ways of dealing with these issues. That is, to discuss among all modalities so that the fact of two children fighting is not normal.
3. Children’s problems are solved between them
Another very common mistake is that the normalization of bullying is accompanied by a strange proposal for children to solve their problems on their own. Nothing further from reality. Adults have more tools to approach the problem of violence, and thus help resolve the situation.
When adults act as mere bystanders, they are no different from other children and adolescents who also watch violence without intervening. Taxpayers feed bullying, and it is worse in the case of adults, who would have the obligation to act according to their age.
Educational institutions must have a protocol for action against bullying . The earlier a bullying process is stopped, the better the results, and snowballs that grow with the problem are avoided.
Responsibilities on World Day Against Bullying
The World Day Against Bullying day can be a kick-start to establish communities of containment and treatment in educational establishments. There is an opportunity that adults can take on when faced with the problem to provide tools that children and adolescents do not have. It is not a problem for them, but for the communities as a whole.
