7 minute read
Tusaayaksat Roundtable
Tusaayaksat Roundtable
With the IRC's Regional Youth Advisory Group
In an effort to increase the dialogue around some difficult topics, we posed a question to members of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation’s Regional Youth Advisory Group (RYAG), which has representation from all of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region communities. Following are the responses to the following question:
Melody Teddy
Chair of RYAG – Tuktoyaktuk
Bullying is something that is around everywhere, no matter if you’re at school, work or social events.
How do I deal with bullying? Out of all honesty, at first I think, “What and why is this person doing this. What did I ever do to them?”
I tend to forget about myself and ask why this person is acting out this way to dissolve the situation and/or have a short talk with the bully to see what triggered them to act out in that way.
A lot of the time when a bully is bullying, they are expressing some sort of frustrations. If it’s with the person they are bullying or frustrations of their own, there is always a way to go about your actions and reactions towards bullying.
The reactions of the people being bullied can change the whole situation, even if it’s not reacting, reacting calmly and/or bullying back. For people out there being bullied, the majority of the time it is not about you, but more about the bully.
Ashley Nakimayak
Sachs Harbour
Some people won’t be happy until they’ve pushed you to the ground.
As an adult, when I see bullying happen, I tell kids that it’s not okay to be treating other people in hurtful manners, in any way. It’s not right to put people down or make them feel any less of a person. We should be looking out for one another and do our best to be role models for the younger generation. Teach them that bullying in any form is not okay.
If anyone is being bullied, I tell them that they can talk to a trusted adult, a close friend, a teacher or their parents – anyone that can help. You don’t have to feel like you’re alone in this type of situation. No one deserves to be bullied into silence. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own environment.
Brianna Wolki
Paulatuk
Bullying has been a rising issue among our youth for many years.
Today, it is still a growing factor that affects mental health. Bullying does not only affect our youth, but it also affects all age categories. Personally, I have been bullied. At the time, I did not know what to do or who to talk to. I thought that if I voiced my concerns that the bullying would only get worse. Little did I know that it would stop right then and there if I sought the help that I needed.
My experience with bullying is a great example of why it is important to educate our youth to speak up and put an end to bullying that is either happening to them or around them. Now when I am in a situation where I am getting bullied, I deal with it by ignoring the negativity and walking away. If it escalates to a point where threats or violence are involved, then I get the police involved.
If I saw someone getting bullied, I would approach the situation, listen to both sides, and stand up for the victim. That said, both sides of the situation need support. We need to help the victims by advocating for them. We also need to support the bullies by finding the reason behind their actions and the types of supports available to them. Youth need to know that they are not alone and there is no need to fear seeking help in these situations.
We need to educate our youth about the disadvantages of bullying, the types of supports readily available to them and what they can do to help those in need of such supports. Bullying will always be an ongoing matter, but if we can work together to help those around us, then it is a start to putting an end to bullying.
Jessi Pascal
Aklavik
Bullying is something that has always happened. Children grow up with it. You either are the bully or get bullied at one point in your life.
I have been bullied from growing up with glasses. I hate to admit it, but I once bullied people too, and I am not proud of that. I say sorry when I hurt someone’s feelings. People hurt my feelings without an apology and with apologies. It’s something that we have to talk about. The stigma has to stop. If you stand up against bullying, it absolutely does not mean that you are weak. It means that you have the courage to face any obstacles that get in the way of living your true self. Be kind to one another. You never know what obstacle they are facing. Always show a smile to others, look into their eyes and pay attention to what they’re saying.
How does one person help another that’s being bullied? First off, just listen. Be there for them when they have something to say. Respect the fact that there are boundaries. Bring them to gatherings, whether it’s sports, art activities or community events. Help them show their true self and have fun while doing it. Provide support and ensure that they are aware that they are not alone. There are always helplines that help deal with bullying and other stigmas that we don’t talk about on a daily basis.
Davonna Kapok
Inuvik
Bullying happens everywhere all the time. It’s not only an issue among youth – it happens in adulthood as well.
I try to deal with bullying in the most nonreactive way that I can when it’s happening directly to me. I know from experience dealing with being bullied how hard it can be to not react or respond. The approach that I’ve taken in these situations is to ignore it, unless it gets to a certain extent where it can potentially result in physical violence. Then I put it in the hands of the law. If I ever witness someone being bullied, there is no doubt that I would speak up and stand up for them, obviously taking into consideration the circumstances of the situation.
The only way we can put an end to bullying is by working together. We need to support people who are being bullied and support the people doing the bullying as well. Children and adults don’t just go out of their way to hurt the feelings of others or attack people physically for absolutely nothing. It is a learned behaviour, and in my experience being a bully and being a victim of bullying, it is likely a result or reaction stemming from anger and pain caused by a completely different source. We need to educate each other on bullying and its effects and the supports that are available to us. We need to advocate for the victims of bullying by standing up for them and supporting them, but also working towards finding a solution to the underlying problem: why the bullies are bullying.
We also need to take into consideration that bullying can happen in all stages of a person’s life, so if we educate people while they’re young about how to properly and positively deal with bullying, it becomes less of an issue as they grow older. My experience dealing with bullying and how I approach it now came from my experiences dealing with it as a child and young adult. If I had not had adults and mentors supporting me in those difficult times and teaching me positive ways to deal with the emotions that came after being verbally or physically attacked, I don’t think I would have the mindset that I have today when it comes to bullying.
Topsy Banskland
Ulukhaktok
From learning about human behaviour, there is always a reason to a person’s actions and intentions.
My main way of dealing with bullying is to first understand why that person is bullying, and then to address it in a non-reactive manner. But if it is persistent, take it to an authority. Always take the situation into consideration. If you see it happening to someone else, speak out and don’t be a bystander.
Bullying tends to be a reaction to something going on in the background of that individual, whether that be something going on at home, mentally, feelings of insecurity or otherwise. So, they have a habit of “taking it out” on another person(s).
Youth can address it – never bully back – and look for the support around them (teachers, guardians, mentors) to stop the bullying. Never let people get away with bullying, as it will only persist over time.
