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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 3/11/25

The Silent Epidemic: How Bullying in 2024 is Shaping a Generation


Christina Dion Sabaratnam
Message Christina Dion Sabaratnam


6 things to do if you are being bullied A short video that gives you six top tips about what to do if you are being bullied.
(Image by YouTube, Channel: Anti-Bullying Alliance)
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Bullying remains a pervasive issue affecting students worldwide, with recent statistics shedding light on its prevalence and impact. In the United States, approximately one in five students (19.2%) report being bullied, with higher rates observed among female students (21.8%) compared to their male counterparts (16.7%).

Globally, a comprehensive study spanning 83 countries found that 30.5% of adolescents have experienced bullying.

This alarming figure underscores the universal nature of the problem, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries.

In Australia, the situation is equally concerning. A recent survey revealed that nearly 60% of Victorian councillors reported experiencing bullying or harassment in their roles, highlighting a 'toxic' culture within local councils.

Additionally, Australian schoolchildren are among the most bullied globally, with one in six students reporting instances of bullying at school.

couriermail.com.au

The consequences of bullying are profound, affecting mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Children's biggest social fears include being made fun of, left out, and teased about their appearance, leading to anxiety and diminished self-esteem.

Recent Insights into Bullying Trends and Impacts

heraldsun.com.au

Victoria's 'toxic' council bullying culture revealed

2 days ago

couriermail.com.au

Family's heartache: Every day we look back and think 'why us?'

104 days ago

nypost.com

Growing number of NYC students feel unsafe as gang activity, bullying uptick in schools: survey



Bullying is no longer just a childhood issue-- it is a global crisis that threatens the mental well-being and future of countless individuals. The statistics of 2024 paint a grim picture, but they also serve as a wake-up call. Every cruel word, every act of exclusion, and every online attack leaves an invisible scar that can last a lifetime.

Yet, there is hope. Change begins when bystanders become upstanders, when schools enforce zero-tolerance policies, and when victims find their voices instead of their silence. Parents, teachers, and communities must come together to break the cycle of bullying. This means creating safe spaces, encouraging open conversations, and fostering empathy in young minds. Schools need to go beyond anti-bullying posters and truly enforce protective policies, while social media platforms must take greater responsibility in combating cyberbullying.

Moreover, society must shift its mindset. Bullying is not just "kids being kids." It is a form of psychological violence that has long-term effects on self-esteem, academic performance, and mental health. A bullied child today can become an anxious adult tomorrow. Ignoring the issue is no longer an option.

If we continue to dismiss bullying as an inevitable part of growing up, we risk raising a generation plagued by anxiety, fear, and self-doubt. But if we take action-- through education, awareness, and unwavering support-- we can build a world where kindness overpowers cruelty, where inclusion replaces exclusion, and where no child, teen, or adult ever feels powerless again.

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Joseph Aliaso

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Q: What to do when you've been BULLSHITTED by a reality television personality?

A: ISRAEL FIRST, sloppy seconds for all others.

Submitted on Wednesday, Mar 12, 2025 at 11:52:47 AM

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Steven P Mitchell

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Bullying is not just an issue about and for children. It continues through childhood into adulthood and is how the world operates. It is not just a manifestation of adolescence as it matures into adult behaviors. You would not have the Mafia or other gangs in the U.S. and globally, if were not for bullying. It is an integral part of their behavior. It is also how the boardroom operates. You wouldn't have billionaires if it were not for bullying. I saw a biographical account of Bill Gates recently, that described him as a child who had been bullied, yet Bill Gates himself became a bully as an adult, who legally and illegally, destroyed at least, 40-50 companies, by using unethical or illegal means to acquire their intellectual properties, inhibit them from competing, or otherwise deter those entities from competition against him, using the law. Just ask the owners of Sun Microsystems whether Bill Gates is a bully who stole Java from them and then placated its resolution until they went out of business, or his former Microsoft partner, Paul Allen, who is now dead, who Gates pushed out of Microsoft ownership. Look at all the technologies that Bill Gates had killed through his business practices. Even Donald Trump is a perfect example of someone who was known as a bully in childhood (he was sent to military school for a real reason), and brought those same manifestations into his business practices. That is why he is the king of lawsuits, even in his own industry, where he would force his contractors to sue him, just to get a fraction of the pay that they were owed. Bullying is how the world works at the very top, and on down. Bullying is not just for kids. Adult violence in general is an extension of childhood violence. Bullying is psychological violence that is an imbedded in how business practices are conducted and accepted, how politics are fought, how wars emerge and are conducted, how domestic violence plays out, how nations treat other nations, how entire ethnic groups are eliminated from the human potpourri of the human admixture. And those are just the extreme examples of its identity. Human beings need to recognize that bullying is not just a childhood geste that people grow out of as they mature into adults, but is a behavior that is manifested throughout humankind's population, and governs it from the top-down, bottom-up and through the various stages of its dispersal into every aspect of human transaction. You are correct that bullying is not just for kids, anymore. Christina, thank you for raising awareness about its condition and pervasiveness in the human condition.

Submitted on Monday, Mar 17, 2025 at 4:52:08 PM

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Christina Dion Sabaratnam

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Reply to Steven P Mitchell:   New Content

Thank you for your insightful and detailed comment. Youï ? ? €™ve highlighted a crucial pointï ? ? €”bullying is not just a phase limited to childhood but a deeply ingrained behavior that persists into adulthood and even shapes societal structures. The examples you provided, from corporate strategies to political tactics, truly emphasize how power dynamics often rely on forms of coercion, intimidation, and control.

Itï ? ? €™s concerning how normalized these behaviors have become at various levels, from business dealings to international relations. Whatï ? ? €™s even more alarming is how many of these actions are legally or socially accepted, making it difficult to even recognize them as bullying. While we often address childhood bullying with intervention strategies, thereï ? ? €™s much less focus on how it evolves into more sophisticated, systemic forms in adulthood.

I appreciate your perspectiveï ? ? €”itï ? ? €™s an important reminder that addressing bullying isnï ? ? €™t just about protecting children, but also about reshaping the way power is wielded and how we engage with one another at every stage of life. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Submitted on Thursday, Mar 20, 2025 at 7:02:28 AM

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