Response to 'Just Kidding' and 'Ganging Up' from Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons

This is an interesting quote I found on Crystal's blog:

When I do see bullying occur, there are three obvious options: to help the victim, to join in with the bullying or choose not to do anything and have the victim fend for themselves. Though I would sympathize the victim, I would choose not to interfere because sometimes to not get involved is the best method to protect yourself. The reason is, if I help the victim, I will most likely become the next target and I might not even have the capability to help the victim.

     I think this quote helps relate to the ASTI Constitution because everyone is given three choices whenever they happen to witness bullying. As Crystal explains, the three choices offered are to either help the victim, join the bullies, or to do neither and be a bystander. However, when these options are presented to an individual, he or she would often most likely choose the third choice because that entity would like to avoid becoming the next victim, being despised by others because he or she joined the bullies, or simply due to the fact that the individual does not want to become involved with the situation in the first place.
     However, because individuals often decide to choose the third choice rather than trying to help the individual being bullied, this is breaking the sixth and ninth rule in the ASTI Constitution: 'speak up for yourself and others' and 'make a positive impact on the people and environment around you'. First of all, when a person ignores and walks away from the bullying happening in front of them, it is certainly not speaking up for yourself or others because to speak up is to stand up to the bullies. Second of all, there is no way bullying will make a positive impact because bullying is negative to both people and the environment no matter which way the situation is seen from. Therefore, bullying is breaking the ASTI Constitution.

'Just Kidding' and 'Ganging Up' from Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons

     From what I remember, there has never been a time where I have been part of an alliance that made someone feel bad or have been harassed by a larger group, so I do not know haw that would make me feel. However, I do know and have the experience of what it is like to be a bystander.
     Although I do not remember a specific moment where I have been a bystander in a bullying incident, I do remember that every time these situations come up, I have been presented with choices. There are three options: to help the individual being bullied and take the risk of also being bullied, to join the bullies in bullying the individual, or to be a bystander who does nothing for or against the situation. Every time I see a group of kids ganging up on an individual, I always choose the third option because of four reasons. One, I was not interested in being a bully. Two, I did not want to be one of the bullied individuals. Three, it had nothing to do with me. Four, I simply did not care. I did not want to become involved in the incidents that may end up becoming more complicated and troublesome.
     As for why people bully, I believe that there are many reasons, some which may be complex while others that may be simple. One reason that I know of for why individuals may bully others is because they wish to feel superior when compared to their peers. They wish to feel as though they have the authority over others and the ability to command their colleagues. In short, it is possible to say that bullies want power. Another reason can be family problems. The individual does not know what to do and vents out their negative feeling upon others in the form of bullying. There are many other reasons such as revenge, peer pressure, or simply because the bully dislike a certain individual and wishes to make that person's life miserable.
     In the end, bullying may always continue to exist because of different motives, as mentioned above, and different forms of bullying such as physical, verbal, and pressurized bullying. As long as individuals do not see one another as equals, there will always be conflicts erupting and bullying is only one of the many. Bullying can happens both anywhere and anytime, even if you are unaware.