Why do people always hurt people that don’t deserve to be hurt?  Why do the people actually think that bullying is necessary? Why is bullying especially found in schools? The issue of bullying raises a lot of questions and is a topic that is very sensitive.

In schools, pupils always have certain ways to hurt the ones that can’t defend themselves. Those who get bullied don’t usually deserve it. They are seen as weak, are picked on and quickly the spiral of suffering begins. The ‘victim’ role seems to encourage the bullies even more and soon others join in, too.

What can a school do to address and deal with this problem? Most schools nowadays have a school counselor who deals with such issues. Students can come to the counselor when they have concerns or can make them aware of bullying issues going on. In a brief interview with the FIS counselor, Ms. Sawabini, she answered some general questions about bullying. FIS has a set approach to dealing with bullying, which is laid out in the school handbook, but in general, she says that the three main issues regarding bullying are race, weight and friendship issues. Unfortunately, she does not get many reports of bullying during the course of a school year. Normally there are no more than ten to fifteen reports in one school year, however, this is not because there are no more incidents, but because they don’t get brought to her attention. Students often feel the need to deal with such incidents themselves, but hopefully they also often confide in their friends and ask for help from them. Ms. Sawabini also said that Middle School is the typical time for such incidents to take place, while it tends to ‘grow out’ in Upper School.

The best way to deal with bullying is to stand up to the bully, talk to them and explain how much pain they are causing. In a lot of situations, the bully is not even aware that they are causing so much hurt. The victims may have put on a brave face, have learned to deal with such situations, not showing their true feelings, so the bully does not realize how much damage is being done. This is why it is helpful to directly address the bully and raise the subject. If this is not an option or is too scary, then the pupil should approach the counselor and explain the situation to them. Sharing concerns always makes you feel better, be it with parents, friends or counselors.