The issue I'm writing about is an important one, because everyone needs to feel love and accepted by family and friends, especially this time of the year. Unfortunately, "hurting people, hurt people" all the time, and bullying doesn't stop during the holidays. In fact, the holiday season can be an even more lonely time for those who experience social exclusion.
During the time off of school, friends often get together to shop, see movies, go ice skating, and celebrate together. But when cliques exclude other classmates on purpose in the effort to hurt them, feeling left out can turn into bullying behaviors. Let's look at one example from the Acception: Bullying Prevention and Solutions Health Education Curriculum, to help us understand how social exclusion occurs in schools.
Lisa desperately wants to fit in with the popular cheerleading girls. However, she’s overweight and doesn’t dress very trendy. A few of the cheerleaders sarcastically encourage her to try out for the cheerleading squad, not intending to even consider her. Lisa reluctantly agrees, in the hopes of being accepted. After the tryouts, the cheerleading captains tell Lisa that she will be accepted on the squad only if she steals lunch money from the underclassman for the next month and gives it to the captains. Lisa feels very uncomfortable but is desperate to be accepted, so she agrees. After one month, the captains tell her she was stupid to believe they would allow a “fat thief” on their squad and all laugh at her in front of the entire cheerleading squad.
Lisa was forced to do things in order to be accepted (a form of bullying), and in the end, was still excluded by the cheerleaders. Can you imagine how humiliated she must have felt? Whether you are a teacher, student, or administrator reading this, make an effort to reach out to someone this season and show them love. Remember, when we accept and appreciate the differences of others, we bring some much needed love into a hurting world.
For more
information on Acception’s solution-based approach to bullying prevention in the classroom, visit www.Acception.info
