There is a bully and a victim. And then there is the bystander, which is a unique and spectacular role because it’s a person who is not involved in a situation but has a powerful role in stopping the situation. According to the dictionary a bystander is a person present but not involved. How can you not feel something for the victim? How can you be okay with it? How can someone not offer any help in an emergency situation to a victim? Although we might not be involved in what’s happening, our behaviors can contribute to what takes place. Sometimes, we can even make the situation worse just by cheering, laughing and encouraging. Most of the time, when we notice a fight or someone saying something ruinous to another person, we simply ignore it and continue with our lives. Why don’t we see that the victim is seeking help and can’t stand up for themselves. Why don’t we help in these situations? Why do we sometimes put our moral instincts in shackles? These are the questions that haunt all of us and make us guilty.
A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying. What if someone had stepped up to support the victims? If one of us steps up, others will follow and the victims will be saved and know that they are supported and they are loved. 85% of the human population are bystanders! Bystanders who speak out and do not remain silent in the face of inappropriate behaviors are committed to discouraging bullying. We, bystanders are a critical element in bullying! Bystanders, who provide support to the bully, makes the bully no longer acting alone. The bystanders have become allies with the bully. If this bullying cycle is to be broken, the role of the bystanders must be changed, by starting with the four reasons bystanders give for not taking a stand against bullying: fear of getting hurt. fear of becoming a new target for the bully. fear of making the situation worse, and simply not knowing what to do. A study by Stevens, Bourdeaudhuij, and Oost stated that peers have anxiety that they might lose social influence and be bullied themselves. Can you imagine the world if every person felt this way? Issues that are in need of confrontation would never be dealt with. African Americans would probably still be slaves. Children would still be workers because child labor laws would not have been implemented. Women would not be able to vote. I would not be in school writing this paper due to my gender. But these are no longer issues because there were people who refused to be bystanders. We must all talk about it! I don’t understand why no authority in schools’ try talking more about bystanders, rather than talking about bullying and bullies.
It’s easier to stay as a bystander than to help the person in need, but we need to think they are having a hard time and we need to help them. We should all stop being bystanders. and start helping the people around us, one day it could be us in their situation that need help, and we will like for other people to help us. Stop being afraid, stop being scared, start acting.
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