October, as you might not know, is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, prompted uptv.com to release a heartwarming video about bullying that is simultaneously difficult and wonderful to watch. They've also provided parents with a list of tips for talking to your kids about bullying. You ever have one of those days when the world just seems like a horrible, no-good, completely cruel and unforgiving place? Yeah, neither have I. Not even once, I swear*. But on the off-chance you are feeling down about the state of humanity, there’s this: A video that shows how to stop bullying, or rather how easy it would be to do so if you chose to act, and how quickly complete strangers are willing to stand up for others.
According to the CDC, a reported 19.6 percent of high school students are bullied in the United States. What's an even more devastating statistic, is the 64 percent of children who were bullied but chose not to report it. Now that teen internet use is as ubiquitous as the Tamagotchi was when I was a kid, online bullying is on the rise: 14.8 of the bullying reported happens online. Because that's what kids need: another avenue for being horrible to one another.
The positive effects of someone intervening when they witness bullying are impossible to calculate, but it is plain to see that when someone decides to do something, good things happen.
Like when this little girl is asked if she has any "real" friends...
...and this complete stranger stands up for her.
Or when these two bullies claim to know why no one attended her birthday party...
...and this guys calls them out on their sh*t.
Ahen the bullies tell the girl that she is ugly and should do something to fix it...
...this woman corrects them in blatant, defiant fashion.
And then we have the moment the bullies make fun of the girl for reading...
...and this gentleman restores our faith in humanity with one simple phrase.
And if all of that wasn't enough, the strangers go above-and-beyond to make the little girl feel cared for, included, and just plain cool.
One woman invites the girl to come sit next to her instead, and quickly gives her a compliment.
Another asks the girl if she would like to sit with her on the bus instead.
And then there's this gem of a man, who invites the girl to sit next to him, takes out his harmonica, and starts playing it for her.
It's reported that 57 percent of bullying situations will stop when a peer intervenes on behalf of the person being bullied, which just goes to show that there's power in the simple, kind actions we can take for those who are hurting.
To get inspired and genuinely optimistic about the world we live in, watch the entire video below.
*I do not swear; The world is bleak
Images: Bullying PSA/YouTube(12)
