Bullying is very common among students, and everyone is aware of it. The major problem is that not a lot of people are willing to step up. This is why Gabriela Alvarez, a Northeastern University student was willing to talk about this issue and help others learn how it can affect many lives. Speak up if you ever see anything that is harmful to someone physically or emotionally.
Gabriela Álvarez – President of ACME “Act Against School Abuse” for its acronym in Spanish.
1. How do you think bullying affects a person’s quality of life? – “The life of each person is valuable, but I find that the victims of bullying suffer, because most of the time they think that they are inferior to others, and that the life they have is not worthy or important. In reality this is the total opposite.”
2. Do you consider that bullying can be reduced or ended? How? – “Bullying can always be reduced or ended. So that this can come to an end, the victims have to defend themselves, not necessarily by physical strength, but they have to seek help from an adult, talk to the harasser, and sometimes, they have to act in a way that they believe is fair.”
3. What is your opinion about people who see bullying and do nothing about it? – “I think that this type of people are cowards, in the sense that they are afraid to raise their voices or do something about it. On the other hand, this type of person may feel that bullying to someone else makes them indifferent; which is wrong because the abuse or mistreatment of another human should be worrisome for everyone.”
4. What do you think is the biggest cause of student harassment? – “The biggest cause of childhood harassment in my opinion would be the lack of tolerance and acceptance that children have among themselves. In that age, any aspect or quality different from what is categorized as usual or accepted by society is already a mockery. Different qualities do not necessarily have to be abnormal things, but the simple things that are not accepted already invite others to bully, something that should be changed.”
5. How does this have repercussions as the bully and the victim grow? – “Bullies tend to develop a violent life, and as they grow up they have anger problems and more possibilities of being sent to prison for becoming criminals. On the other hand, victims tend to go through problems of self-esteem and self-confidence, causing depressions and low grades / performance either at school or at work. Because the bullies and the victims grow and adapt to what is felt by the repercussions of bullying, both sides can develop traumas that would prevent them from interacting properly with others.”
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, are in danger, or are feeling suicidal, call 911 immediately.
Here’s a list of other hotlines you can contact:
Suicide Hotline: 800-784-2433 Immediate Medical Assistance: 911 Crisis Call Center: 800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863 Crisis Text Line (U.S. only): Text HELLO to 741741