Addressing the Menace: Raising Awareness on Bullying to Prevent It

“Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light. Try not
to take it personally.” A brilliant and well-known scientist, Albert Einstein, was bullied because
of his distinctive personality. His self-esteem was harmed by constant harassment, leading to a
sense of isolation. Despite this, Einstein's resilience emboldened people to endure adversity and
pursue their passions with unwavering determination. While bullying can affect everyone, not
everyone can overcome it, resulting in psychological conditions. For these reasons, we must raise
awareness to prevent bullying.
Regardless of one's accomplishments, bullying can impact everyone. It can destroy a
person's confidence, and leave emotional scars, which then leads to depression, self-doubt, and
suicide. In my personal experience, I sincerely regret not standing up for a victim who was being
bullied. We ignored the victim at the time, thinking they had somehow deserved the bullying. We
didn't know how foolish we were until the victim's life was in danger. This incident taught me to
stand up for others and not to pass judgment based just on rumors. By establishing a culture of
empathy and understanding, we can create safe spaces where people are respected for their
unique abilities rather than targeted for them and you can also overcome bullying by reaching out
to the people you trust.
Although you may not always find people on your side, you must stand up for yourself,
hence understanding the human rights is crucial. The government implemented Republic Act No.
10627, popularly known as the "Anti-Bullying Act of 2013," to prevent a hostile learning
environment that interferes with education and, as a result, is damaging to a child's overall
development at school. Additionally, to reduce bullying and raise awareness of its consequences.
Bullying is sometimes seen as playful teasing and is often wrongly considered a ‘normal
rite of passage’. However, it’s important to recognize that bullying can have serious and long-
lasting effects on the victims. Amanda Michelle Todd a 15 year old Canadian teenager, tragically
took her own life in 2012 after being relentlessly bullied both online and offline because she was
being blackmailed into exposing her breasts via webcam and of being bullied and physically
assaulted. This tragic occurrence serves as an important reminder of the serious impacts that
bullying may have on people's mental health and general well-being. Thereupon, to establish a
secure and encouraging atmosphere for everyone, society must address and prevent bullying.
Remember that bullying can affect anyone, but not everyone can overcome it. It has
negative impacts, but we can always overcome it together by establishing a safe environment,
implementing anti-bullying legislation, and, of course, standing up for ourselves, as they say,
"We're not words, we're people. Words are how others define us, but we can define ourselves
whatever we want." Bullying is a widespread sickness that has been lurking in our world for
centuries. It causes emotional and psychological trauma, leading to low self-esteem, anxiety, and
even depression, which is why we must promote awareness to prevent bullying.