KIDLanthropy

It’s sadly not news to us that bullying
takes place in almost every school, but
what may be news is that we all have the
ability to combat it – through empathy.
The Shocking Statistics
According to a statistics report done by the Bureau
of Justice School, which states that 46% of males
and 26% of females reported to have been victims
in physical fights, it’s more important than ever to
understand the damage that bullying does both in
the short and long term.
If these ‘traditional’ forms of physical bullying aren’t
bad enough, we also have to take into account
verbal and emotional forms. And let’s not forget
one of the biggest types of bullying the youth faces
in 2017; cyberbullying.
www.bullyingstatistics.org reports that 58% of kids
have been bullied online through people saying nasty
things about them, or directly to them. A shocking
35% of kids have not only had to deal with hurtful
words, but have actually been threatened online,
too. This means that where once kids could go home
to a safe space away from their bullies, they’re now
constantly connected to them through mediums such
as messaging or social media. In a time where your
bully can follow you home through your cellphone or
computer, the world can feel like a scary place.
With such serious bullying taking place, it’s easy to
feel helpless in improving the situation. Thankfully,
however, there is something that we can all do to
improve our own lives and the lives of those around
us. Understanding empathy is the very first step to
combating all kinds of bullying.
Why Empathy is the Best Weapon
While many people falsely believe that bullying is
just a “normal” part of childhood, it’s important to
understand that it can seriously damage a person
even in their adult life, says psychologist Steven
Kaplan. “Childhood bullying can cause anxiety,
lessened self-esteem and self-compassion, anger,
depression, feelings of shame, worthlessness, and
rage later on in life.” So what exactly is empathy
and why is it the perfect weapon to use against
bullying? “Empathy is the ability to acknowledge
the emotional reality of others,” says Kaplan. “It
means acknowledging that you would feel the same
as the other person, because you are both people;
it is an awareness of the other person’s humanity.”
Your childhood years are when you should learn and
practice what it means to be empathetic. Not only
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