Brooke's Tale

 

Once there was a little bird called Brooke. She was tiny and the larger birds often teased and sometimes even bullied. She was extremely unusual and that made her a big target. She was a cuckoo, so technically speaking, she did not have parents. Her crow mother and father looked after her like a daughter though, and she had little, if anything lacking in that department. However, her brothers and sisters were another case. She had 12 of them, and the made it their mission to make life hard for little Brooke. Only one stuck by Brooke. Tina, also called Teeny, because of her small stature, knew what it felt like to be teased for being different. However, back to her peculiarity, to sum it up, by way of her assailants, she was an orphan, whose parents didn’t want her, never mind that her parents were cuckoos and it was in their nature to leave her in somebird else’s nest. She was also very small for a cuckoo, and was the smallest in her group, so it made it easy to physically ruffle her feathers. She also looked strange, with the odd black feather sticking out the wrong way in her glossy grey coat, and tints of red in her orange beak. The objective viewer would say she looked pretty in her own way, but her accosters were anything if not subjective. The biggest one was Ari, who whispered obscenities at her every time Teeny wasn’t around. Ari, however was good friends with Teeny, and Brooke was forced to keep silent, and not blab to Teeny by way of threats.

 

              One day Teeny was ill with salmonella, so Brooke had to go back and forth from school on her own. She was exceedingly nervous, as even if Teeny was small, she was very good at martial arts, and could hold her own against any bully. That day, the other birds threw seeds and nuts at her in the bird feeder, and held her head underwater in the bird bath. Little Brooke felt as if she would die from suffocation, and when they let her go, she gasped for breath and rose, to the surface, dripping wet and miserable. Things were even worse in class. In biology, they had a partner session and since Teeny was absent, Brooke had to be partnered with one of the worst bullies, Huryan, or as Brooke secretly called him, the Hulk. He was strong, and found no greater pleasure than punching Brooke on the wing ‘playfully’ and watching her whimper in pain.

              By the time it was time to fly home, Brooke was bluer than a blueberry, and angry. What had she done to deserve this? She had never hurt anyone, she was kind to animals, she always prayed before meals and sleeping, she was always fair and just. What had she done? To anyone?

 

              This is a scenario that happens every day, all over the world. In this story, little Brooke is bullied physically by Huryan, and verbally by Ari. All over the world, people, especially teenagers are bullied in many ways. Physically, verbally, cyber are just three types of bullies. Physical aggression can come from the thought that the bully wants to feel superior to someone by strength, and sometimes if the bully themselves are being or have been bullied, and need an outlet, which (unfortunately) sometimes presents itself in the form of the victim. Most verbal bullying is done when physical bullying is not an option, and the bully’s self-esteem is in the toilet. Verbal bullying is easier to stop. Most bullies are weaker than they seem. A few threats of calling a teacher or parent should work. Sometimes, though this will do nothing but irk the bully even further. If this happens, DO NOT BACK DOWN! Follow through with your threat. Tell a grownup. If the bully continues to bully you than stand up for yourself. Like what happened with Brooke, you should not feel miserable going to school, or anywhere alone. Still, there is a safety in numbers. Keep your friends close, and stand up for one another.

              Cyber bullying is a different case. Although, you should still, tell a grownup, most of the time, you cannot pinpoint a cyberbully’s identity. This is possible, though to trace the device sending threatening or hurtful messages, if you go to the police. Like with a bully you can see, though, try ignoring them, or telling them to stop, and tell them that if they don’t, then you will go to the police. It is best to take screenshots, and delete the messages. Always have good, solid evidence if you need to prove something. If the bully is using social media, and tagging you to things, then, alert the site. Also, you can block them, or prevent them from tagging you. If push comes to shove, then it maybe a good idea to consider disabling your phone for a few days. However, have a friend or family member on the app, to see if more posts come along. Just because they can’t get you directly, doesn’t mean they will not attempt to ruin your social life. The four things cyberbullies operate on are

•   You can’t see me
•  You don’t know me
• It was just a joke
• It isn’t the real me

These are the things most bullies say.  Actually, sometimes, cyberbullies don’t even realize that they are hurting others. they think they are just having fun. That is the problem. They don’t think.

 

So, if YOU ever get bullied, maybe try these techniques out. Of course, you’ve heard them, but have you HEARD them. Like Appa says, there is a big difference between seeing and observing. I should probably do the latter more often too.

 

Brooke refused to go to school the next day, nor any other day till Teeny got better. But, as soon as Teeny left her side at school, the bullying began. But, when Ari threw an insult at the old cuckoo feather necklace made of her mother's feathers, Brooke had had enough. She told Ari that if she said one more thing to her, she would tell Teeny. Ari did leave her alone after that. And when Huryan, came her way, inspired by her victory over Ari, Brooke gave him the evil eye. Unnerved by her sudden change in demeanor, the smirk slid off his face like silly putty, and he sidled away. This wouldn't be the last time that she was bullied, but this time gave her the courage to stand up for herself, and every other time a punch or mean comment was aimed at her, she laughed it off in front of them, even if she cried hours in the solitude of her room. She just had to keep a strong face outside. Like this she grew up and became a reporter for the Chennai Times for Birds

 

Here are some of the figures on bullying

• 1 in three people are bullied at some point in life
• 3 in every 10 people go into depression because of bullying
• 1 in 25 people go into unhealthy drug addictions because of bullying
• 7 out of 20 victims of bullying become bullies themselves  

These figures are courtesy of Wikipedia.