Why do bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence happen?
Students
Q. Why does it happen to me?
A. It's not happening only to you. Bullying and harassment and discrimination happen to many people.
Q. Why do people bully or harass other people?
A. People may bully or harass others because they see them as different: their size, race, gender or what they wear. It could be because they want to belong to a particular group. It could be fear or jealousy or distrust. It could be lack of knowledge or misunderstanding. It could be that the person who is bullying is being bullied or harassed by others. A person who is bullying may want to show they have more power than anyone else.
Q. I went to the movies with a friend. After the movie, we ran into a person
from school who spread the rumour that we were 'going out'. Why is it so hard
for boys and girls to be friends?
A. A lot of people don't realise that boys and girls can be friends, and don't have to be going out. They have very stereotyped ideas about relationships between males and females. Sometimes even parents tease about boyfriends and girlfriends if they see their young children playing or talking with the other sex. The more boys and girls who show that you can be friends with someone because you get on with them and it doesn't matter about sex, race or anything else, the better.
Q. At my brother's school, they're learning about power. How would this help?
A. Learning about power in life and relationships
can help students to understand bullying, harassment and many other global
issues. For example, by analysing the marketing of brand labels, students
learn how they don't have to wear just one brand label to have friends, and
that we can all influence our own and global decisions.
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