Building Bridges: Preventing Bullying

Preventing Bullying

Preventing Bullying

Last Sunday, Building Bridges had its second live event, which brought together members and friends from the United States and United Kingdom.

The Blog Series usually focuses on the different places where our members are actually from. Writing about my own experiences in New York, Hannover, and London was a real pleasure, but given the recent US elections and the fact that some of the members were unable to join due to the NYC Marathon taking place at that time, I feel it's especially important to focus this article on the topic of the session last Sunday.

Since I encountered technical issues with zoom at the beginning of the session, I am grateful that we were able to get together. Now that we know what's going on, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. But what was the real reason for writing this article today? There is still that evil thing called bullying around.

Bullying exists, our 4-year-olds are being physically attacked at daycare, our kids in elementary schools are being called names, our teenagers are being cyberbullied, and hardworking men and women are being mobbed at work and being teased because of their ethnical backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender, age, religious beliefs or simply because others are jealous of them and have major issues with themselves.

When people think about the recent US presidential elections, it is difficult to believe that Trump won for the second time after running a very aggressive campaign the way a true bully would do so.

The effects of bullying are brutal and long-lasting. Students who experience bullying are at an increased risk of depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement, and dropping out of school, as well as both mental health and behavioral problems. Bullying can have a negative impact on how victims feel about themselves, their relationships with friends and family, their school work, and their physical health.

Building Bridges is proud to support the Colombian charity Ger ODC, which provides a second home to children in Medellin, Colombia, who would otherwise be exposed to gang crimes, drugs, and prostitution. But the goal of Building Bridges is also to have meaningful discussions with our members and friends.

And so we celebrated that October is the National Bullying Prevention Month and a month-long event to prevent childhood bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. PACER`s National Bullying Prevention Center founded this campaign in 2006, which unites communities around the world to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention.

We talked about how kids these days face an increased risk of being bullied without any boundaries or breaks due to the negative effects of social media. There are hostile posts, comments and messages on smartphones and iPads that continue after the school bell rings.

All of the members on the call were parents of young children, and I believe that it was a powerful experience to share our concerns and experiences with each other in the form of open and honest discussions. But we also took the opportunity to elaborate on possible solutions and tools if children experience bullying.

Several of us experienced bullying ourselves in a time when there was no word to describe the hateful actions of other children or hotlines, which we were able to call, when we felt all alone. Fortunately, the times have changed, and if children encounter bullying, they have the option to seek assistance.

We also highlighted the risk that children and teenagers will eventually self-bully themselves after they were called names by others and the amount of energy, tears, and time it takes to build up that confidence again. Having open communication with our kids is important for them to have enough faith in us and get through those dark times until they see the light at the end of the tunnel again.

The Movies Club members chose movies that all talked about bullying prevention. The race was close, but the film "Billy Eliot" came out on top, and friends and family members took time to watch it on their own.

The movie Billy Elliot is set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike and about a working-class boy who has a passion for ballet. His father objects, based on negative stereotypes of male ballet dancers. The film stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, Gary Lewis as his father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older brother, and Julie Walters as his ballet teacher.

The Movie Billy Elliot was well received by everyone, and we discussed the relationship of Billy and his father, who had been worried that Billy would turn gay during his ballet classes and at the end of the movie couldn't be prouder when he saw him as the lead of the Swan Lake performance in London 10 years later. In that context, it was mentioned how the whole family had turned around and decided to support Billy, even if they had been against his dream in the beginning.

Members also agreed that the movie was about the grief, which Billy had experienced after losing his mother, and how his passion for the dance helped him and other family members to heal. And many of us enjoyed watching how supportive Billy was of his best friend, who was gay in a rather difficult time.

We were truly grateful that former professional ballet dancer Nick Peel decided to join us for the session and shared his own experience with us. It was truly inspiring to listen to his recollections of his ballet career, which included him secretly buying a train ticket for an audition at a dance school in London and diligently pursuing his own aspirations. I can only speak for myself, but I hold a profound admiration for individuals who are capable of inspiring others.

At the end of the call, everyone agreed that we need more of those feel good events and moments and, as the founder of Building Bridges, it is my intention to make that happen. When the US elections took place 2 days later, many of us felt sad and upset about the results.

But let me tell you something,  even if it sometimes feels that the bullies are winning in life, we still have the power to make this world a better place. We can do and say the right things, which might make people feel better at that moment.

And we can teach our kids what is right and what is wrong in life so that they can stand up against bullies and stand up for others who need their support.