Do Not Tolerate Bullying At University! Here Are 5 Things You Must Do To Ensure That

Bullying is the worst thing that can happen to a student on a college campus. Not being able to seek help or take a stand against the bully further aggravates the condition. The college period is one of the best times of life for any individual, bullying can turn it into the worst. If you are at college or are about to join a college, it must be one of the issues that would have crossed your mind.

In the present article, we will be going over five things that you can do to prevent or avoid bullying or help someone who is going through this horrible ordeal. These are five simple steps that can make a lot of difference to someone.

1. Collective voice
   Find others who have fallen victim to similar issues and form a group to raise your voice against the bully. As an individual, you might be pushed away and get your voice muffled but as a group, your issue will attract attention and a call for action. The best way to form such a group is to discuss your problems with the people near you; a bully generally has more than one victim so chances are that you will find someone going through the same ordeal. Band together and provide each other the support that you need. Remember, you are stronger together.

2. Communicate with the faculty
   College campuses have a very clear policy against bullying on campus. If you witness any such activity or are the target of any such activity then it is best to communicate it to the faculty members and initiate the right course of action against the bully. Have a clear understanding of the code of conduct on campus to know if any unwarranted behavior violates that code. Taking the matter into your own hands is not the right way to address this issue. There may be multiple factors behind the bully’s behavior; similarly, there might be multiple levels on which a victim might be affected. The right channels will mete out the right action, be it preventive or reprimand.

3. Seek professional help
   It is common to see youngsters being reluctant to seek help for their problems. If you are a victim of bullying or know someone who is going through something similar then encourage that person to seek help. Not only will it allow them a coping mechanism but also help them to be able to fend off such behavior in the future. At the time of the event, it might not seem like much but trauma or repressed trauma can affect the psyche of a person in many ways. A counselor may be of assistance in this case. Their education and training equip them to handle such cases and help the client to move past the traumatic experience.

4. Taking help from law enforcement authorities
   Students should have a clear understanding of the activities that need to be reported to the faculty for corrective action and activities that should be reported to the law enforcement authorities for preventive action. If the activities of the bully threaten the immediate physical or mental wellbeing of the student then under such circumstances, one should seek help from the law. There are many cases where the health of the victim and the harmony of the campus community are at stake. Under such circumstances, individual or group efforts might not amount to much. Swift and decisive action is needed, and that falls under the purview of the law. Asking for help should not be the last resort but rather something that should come to mind first.

5. Learn to say No
   Many a time the silent reaction of the victim or the lack of any consequential retort from them encourages the bully. As a student, you need to earn to say no and take a stand for yourself. Do not encourage bully behavior under any circumstances. You will notice that as you begin to take a stance against the bully, they start to back down and even stop their malicious activities. College campuses should conduct basic training exercises for this purpose and educate the students about the course of action they must take should they come face to face with such behavior. The onus lies as much with the college authorities as it does with the students.