My Story: Leader

HOW GIRL SCOUTS HELPS GIRLS CONFRONT BULLYING

By Aarohi Ghorpade

Aarohi is a Cadette Girl Scout in Troop 4727 in Scottsdale. She is currently working on becoming a Silver Award Girl Scout and has prepared the following piece on teen cyberbullying in support of her project. Her project aims to bring awareness to this issue and how other teens and Girl Scouts can be part of the solution.

Did you know that 95% of teens are connected to the internet? And 85% of teens are active on a social media platform! In 2010, researchers Hinduja and Patchin conducted a study on cyberbullying and showed victimization per gender. At a glance, one can see that females, especially young women, are more likely to experience cyberbullying. In the case of young girls who have faced cyberbullying, there’s a common pattern; girls were being bullied based on their looks.

A significant number of teenagers are exposed to this threat. If we work together, maybe one day, we might be able to make the digital world a safe and enjoyable space for everyone. According to Verywell Family, an online library that gives reliable advice about pregnancy and parenting, bullying is more likely to occur between current or former friends or dating partners than with a stranger. Here is an example of this situation:

Alice ended her friendship with her toxic friend Max. Max was infuriated. Alice was tired of Max’s controlling nature. Max started threatening Alice by telling her that she (Max) would tell the whole school about Alice’s secret. However, Alice followed her best friend Helen’s advice and broke friendship with Max. The next day, Max exposed Alice’s secret in an Instagram post. Alice was infuriated and embarrassed.

Many former friends or dating partners might bully for revenge, wanting control over the other individual, wanting to show they were the one who ended the relationship or they have higher social status.

What makes bullying even more problematic is when victims do not want to report abuse to their parents, who can take further steps to help them. Through ongoing conversations, parents and children can build trust and the ability to discuss difficult topics together.

Some of the ways youth can manage bullying are:

1. Keep a Journal: Record every incident, be as detailed as you can.

2. Save the Evidence: Screenshot the mean comment, post, etc. Can use it as evidence later, while getting help.

3. Never Retaliate: You might feel like standing up for yourself and responding to the bully. However, it will most likely backfire, making things worse.

4. Talk About It: This is probably the most critical step. Talk to your family and friends. Always remember that you are not alone, and it is okay to ask for help.

Ways Girls Can Take Action

As a Girl Scout, I commemorate the day I joined. I still remember when my mom was handed a pamphlet that listed all the things that Girl Scouts promoted, including helping girls build a strong sense of self, positive values, seek challenges, develop and maintain healthy relationships, and community problem-solving skills.

Girl Scouts provides an excellent formula for forming strong and independent female leaders that can stand up against cyberbullying.

Girl Scouts helps grow girls’ confidence, which allows them to surmount any hurdles in their life. They also instill positive values, which often make Girl Scouts more compassionate towards others, both offline and online. Plus, being in Girl Scouts connects you with other likeminded girls and adults so that you have a reliable support system – a sisterhood of fellow Girl Scouts, there whenever you need help.

Cyberbullying is a monster–many have fallen prey to it. No one deserves to be hurt. So, take this oath and join me in the fight against cyberbullying:

I promise not to bully any individual online or offline. I will inform a trusted adult immediately if I witness any bullying or I am bullied. I will be an upstander and help the victim.

Sources: “51 Critical Cyberbullying Statistics in 2020,” Broadband Search, “Stop CyberBullying Before It Starts” by stopbullying.gov, Verywell Family Online Library, Founded by Neil Vogel, Words Wound: Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral By Justin W. Patchin and Sameer Hinduja