Lean in And Listen

Recognizing and tackling the signs of bullying.

Bullying is a topic people tend to avoid talking about. But, what if it’s happening to people you love while you don’t even know about it?

People get bullied at every age for being different; having different accents, nationalities, colors, opinions, social status and financial income are all things that will get you bullied. The worst part is: no one officially does anything about it. It’s all part of growing up and ”standing up for yourself.”

There aren’t many programs at schools explaining what bullying really is and how to deal with it. Children go home without shoes, with bruises, black eyes and scratches. They can even not show any symptoms but still seem so distant and quiet. In this case, emotional trauma is a definite link.

In an interview with Sara Al Sudairy, the owner of Kids Talents, she shares the importance of building a child’s character at a young age. Stories of the Prophet (PBUH)’s kindness and compassion are always being told, but it is never made clear to children how to connect them to real life situations.

The camp hosted an anti-bullying campaign prepared by Princess Norah University students. It taught children exactly what bullying is and helped them figure out for themselves the correct ways of dealing with it. This is an important step that shouldn’t be skipped, because as much as you tell people that something is wrong, they have to be put in the situation in order to realize the impact it could have. And that is exactly what the program did for students; it made them realize just how much of bad effect bullying could have on people, but it does that in a simple, understandable manner for children.

As a mother, Al Sudairy also talked about making things clear to children. Telling them right from wrong at a young age, showing them exactly how to deal with different people and situations. All of this leads to bigger understandings in life.

This being said, a good way to avoid bullying is to make other positive activities available and continue proper supervision. This alone will drastically reduce the level of bullying between children and create a more creative, united environment where everyone gets a chance to add something special.

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