Bullying is the behaviour of a person who hurts or frightens someone smaller or less powerful through his acts. A bully does so by forcing others to do things against their will. It mostly occurs in schools, colleges or even workplaces.

Being bullied for a long time leaves long-term effects on the victim’s mind, all of which can lower self-esteem, cause anxiety or even put someone to depression.

Bullying can be done in many ways. It can be verbal bullying, that is bullying through insulting language like calling one inappropriate names based on their appearance or body shaming. Another way to bully is physical bullying, in which the bully harms the victim through hitting, pushing, kicking, or through making mean or rude gestures by hand.

Our Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W) is reported to have said, “No Arab is superior to a non-Arab, nor is a white man greater than a black man. Only the goodness of a person makes him superior to others”.

This leaves us with no reason to judge others on any aspect of their lives. Bullying has become a part of our society now. Bullying not only occurs in schools but also in workplaces, families and among friends too. Sometimes, People don’t even realise that what according to them is a joke or just an act for fun, is actually making the other person uncomfortable and hurt. Certain words said to make others laugh might leave the ridiculed with lifelong pain. The victim starts to blame oneself for every suffering and is left with insecurities that, with time, only worsens.

Following are the five possible ways to stop others from bullying people:

1. If the situation seems threatening or dangerous, walk away.

2. Make the bully visible to others. It’s important to report bullying right away so that someone in authority can put a stop to it.

3. Stand for yourself if you feel safe doing so. Ask the bully to stop. As you do so make sure that you look the bully directly in the eye and speak in a calm, clear voice.

4. Most importantly, stay calm. It is the bully’s goal to get an emotional response out of you, so do your best to keep calm and avoid showing them how you feel. Take a few deep breaths and think about something that makes you happy.

5. Take immediate action. If you see or hear about someone being bullied, then step in to stop the bullying right away. Don’t wait until later to tell someone. If you wait, the person may get hurt

If we want to make this world a better place, then inhumane acts like bullying needs to be stopped. We never know what others are already going through, the least we can do is stay nice and respectful.

Chris Colfer rightly said, “When people hurt you over and over, think of them like sandpaper. They may scratch and hurt you a bit, but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 26th, 2021