(Editor’s note: Bullying—whether the traditional, physical bullying, or the now-prevalent cyber bullying – has been a cause of misery for many young Filipinos. While the suicide rate attributed to bullying is much higher in other countries, still, bullying in the Philippines is seen by authorities as a serious problem. A Grade 6 student shares below her own insights on how it can be stopped – beginning with the potential victim himself/herself).
Have you ever been bullied before? It feels terrible to be bullied. Many bullies say mean things about you and even hurt you physically so they can make you feel bad about yourself.
There are ways you can stop bullying.
First, you should ignore what the bullies are saying about you. You should not be affected by their insults. Do not think about yourself as what they are saying about you. You should build your self-confidence. If you believed them, you would have low self-esteem.
Second, you must stand up for yourself. Say no to bullying. Tell the bullies to stop all the bad things that they are doing to you. Be confident and stay strong. Tell them that what they are doing is wrong and that they should not do the same to others.
Lastly, you should tell an adult. Seek help from people who you know can handle the situation well. You can tell your parents or teachers to help correct the bullies and stop them. Bullies will not stop until you do something about bullying.
Without bullying, the school environment will be happier. Go and stop bullying now!
(*Shayna Wu is a graduating elementary student from Immaculate Concepcion Academy in Greenhills, San Juan City).
