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Showing posts from April, 2020

BULLY AND THE BYSTANDER

by J Richard Knapp First, bystanders may be afraid to get involved. These people fear becoming the new target of the bully or even getting hurt while defending the victim. Second, some bystanders are confused and unsure what to do - so in turn they do nothing at all. Bystanders need a plan of what to do. These bystanders may choose to disassociate themselves with the victim, which may result in deep feelings of guilt . Third, some bystanders are actually rewarding the behavior of the bully and support the incident which is occurring. These individuals need to be held accountable for their behavior. It is not unusual for these witnesses to blame the victim and attempt to vindicate the bully. I am often concerned about some anti-bully advocates telling the bystander to intervene on behalf of the victim. This is easier to suggest rather than do. Imagine the courage it would take to stand up for someone you view as strange or a 'loser' . Intervention takes