Many celebrities have been victims of bullying in their childhood. Hollywood actress Jessica Alba has revealed that she has been a victim of bullying at her High School. Jessica alba was physically bullied. She was bullied so severely, that her father had to walk with her into school so she wouldn’t get assaulted. She even had to eat in the nurse’s office to keep her safe and away from the other girls. She was bullied because she had buck teeth, her parents were poor and she never had the trending cool clothes or coloured hair.
Jessica Alba’s bullying experience impacted her life in a positive way. Instead of her feeling depressed and down in the dumps, she turned it around and ironically it made her stronger person. When she got bullied, she didn’t stand up for herself then, that’s why she is so tough now. If you are getting bullied, Jessica advice is – ignore them. They are only bullying you because they are jealous. Alba managed to overcome her awkwardness and become a model. Now, she is a successful actress and entrepreneur. And this grown up girl who had buck teeth was ranked number six on “The Most Beautiful Women in the World”.
Bullying is repeated and intentional use of words or action against someone or a group of people to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing. These actions are usually done by people who seem to have more influence or power over someone else or who want to make someone else feel less powerful or helpless. Bullying creates a culture of fear and has a negative impact on everyone involved.
Bullying is a repeated aggressive behaviour which is intended to hurt someone either emotionally or physically and is often aimed at certain people because of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or any other aspect such as appearance or disability. It can be associated with low self-esteem and can contribute to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. It also can lead to feelings of helplessness and being suicidal for the victim. The bully-er or perpetrator may be masking feelings of hurt, fear, anger, shame, low self-worth anxiety and even depression. People who bully may be bullied or abused themselves in another aspect of their lives whether physically or emotionally.
Bullying in schools can have an effect on learning. Stress and anxiety caused by bullying and harassment can make it more difficult for kids to learn. It can cause difficulty in concentration and decrease their ability to focus which affects their ability to remember things they have learned. Furthermore, bullying can lead to more serious health concerns such as alcohol, drug abuse and self-harm. It is important to look out for these when we see a loved one withdraw and not enjoy their social circles in school or work. Bullying is painful and humiliating and victims feel embarrassed, battered and shamed. If the torment is not relieved, bullying can even lead to suicide or violent behaviours.
Symptoms can include frequent headaches, panic attacks, being exhausted, shyness, stomach-aches or other physical problems including loss of appetite or weight. They may also have difficulty sleeping or suffer recurring nightmares. Bullying makes people upset. It can make a person feel lonely, unhappy and frightened. It also can make them feel unsafe and think there must be something wrong with them as they internalize this unkind treatment. They can lose confidence and make them feel sick. Bullies themselves are negatively impacted by their own behaviour. They are more likely to be at great risk for poor psychological and social outcomes and more likely to engage in high risk activities such as vandalism and theft. The effect of bullying in academic issues including poor attendance, low test scores and increased dropout rates.
Bullying can happen anywhere. It can be in the school, at home, at work, in online spaces, via text messaging or via email. Bullying is never okay, cool or acceptable. No one ever deserves to be bullied. One of the ways to prevent bullying for children is maintaining good communication with the family and keeping up with what’s going on in their lives. It’s important that parents talk to their child about bullying and review what they should do if they experience bullying or see it happen to another child. Some situations require the onlooker to intervene to at least stop the abuse, however every situation requires someone of higher authority being told. Avoiding bullies is a smart, protective move and people should understand they are worth not putting up with abusive behaviour. It is the bully’s goal to get an emotional response out of you, so do your best to keep calm and avoid showing the bully how it is affecting you. Try your best not to show that you are angry, sad, or frightened. Rather find a way to vocalise that the treatment is not okay, you will not tolerate it and you will inform someone who can help, if it continues It’s important to report bullying right away so that it will stop. By telling someone that you are being bullied, you will be standing up for yourself and showing the bullies that you will not put up with their abuse. The bully also needs to be addressed, they need to be told that bullying is not acceptable, be made aware of the consequence and reflect on why they resort to it.
In conclusion, bullying is an ‘us’ problem. Promoting understanding, awareness of diversity, and health relationship can help prevent future incidents, rehabilitate the community we live in and give an empowering voice to those who suffer silently.
