Page 26 - October 2021 Issue.indd

Caroline CASA

Court Appointed
Special Advocate

STOP BULLYING!

Have you ever been bullied? Perhaps somebody made fun
of your haircut, your clothes or the way you speak. Perhaps
your bully took it further than teasing and started spreading
rumours about you or even physically harassed you. Or maybe
you’ve been on the other side and have actually BEEN the bully.
Either way, bullying is not fun and is extremely hurtful to both
the bully and those who are on the receiving end.
It’s obvious why bullying is hurtful to those who are being
bullied. It hurts your self-esteem. It creates a feeling of “less
than”. It makes you fearful to go to school, work or anyplace
you might encounter your bully. Being bullied can lead to
depression, anxiety, and many other psychiatric issues. But

the long-term effects can actually be worse for the one who’s
doing the bullying. People who bully stand a greater chance
of abusing alcohol and drugs, getting into fi ghts, vandalizing
property, having a criminal record, and being abusive to their
spouse and/or children. Bullying hurts everyone.
So why do people do it? There’s no one real reason why people Classic Cars • Vintage Cars • Barn Finds

bully others but some of the most common reasons are their (Especially Mustangs, Shelbys, and Convertibles)
own feelings of insecurity and powerlessness, their need to
control others, or they just simply enjoy making other people
feel badly about themselves. Whatever the reason, their bullying Restored & Unrestored Finders
behaviors hurt the victim, the community, and themselves.
Running or Not Fee
What can we do to put an end to this and “Stomp Out ANY CONDITION Paid
Bullying”? Like most things, it begins at home. Parents who
are bullies are more likely to raise kids who also bully. By doing
so, they’re reducing their children’s chances to succeed and ¡“Žš—­ Ž¡©“ŒŽ $$$ CASH PAID
thrive in school and life in general. Watch you own behavior
and treat others with the kindness and respect you’d like to
receive - kids learn by watching their parents, teachers, and 410-320-7522
other adults in their lives. We all have love and hate in our
hearts – teach them it’s ok to choose love over hate! Show Any pictures can be emailed
them how much better it is to be considerate of others than to lightbd@comcast.net
it is to incessantly tease, taunt or harass. Visit websites like
www.stompoutbullying.org for resources on how create a
more respectful environment. Talk to your kids, neighbors,
colleagues about what is acceptable behavior – use the prompts
in the picture to start those discussions. We’re all responsible
for creating safe and welcoming environments in our schools,
homes and communities. We’re all #CarolineStrong!

The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention funded this project

under sub-award number CJAC-2019-0004 and VOCA-2018-0063.
All points of view in this document are those of the author and do not

necessarily represent the official position of any State or Federal Agency.

This project is supported by a grant from the Maryland Judiciary’s
Administrative Office of the Courts number AOC-G20CA0225I.

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