Coping with bullying – Jehovah’s Witnesses, USA

As millions of children headed back to school this year, many of them have had to deal with bullying and increasingly, its online counterpart, cyberbullying.

Over the past decade, cyberbullying has doubled – going from 8% to 16% – in U.S. public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

And in a national study by the Cyberbullying Research Center, nearly 21% of teens said they had been a target, aggressor or witness to bullying online or by other electronic means.

As parents search for ways to protect their children, a growing number of families are turning to an unlikely source for practical guidance: the Bible.

Many parents talk with their children about helpful scriptural principles they learned through their faith as Jehovah’s Witnesses. They study verses about behavior and how to stick up for yourself the right way, how to treat people and not retaliate.

A search for the term “bullying” on jw.org the Witnesses’ official website, brings up a wealth of free resources including videos, articles, worksheets and other online activities on topics young people face at school. Those resources include a whiteboard animation entitled, “Beat a Bully Without Using Your Fists” and an animated cartoon about the powerful effect of prayer for those who are being bullied.

Madison Bechtle of Clifton, New Jersey, also turned to the Scriptures when a cyberbully started harassing her in the eighth grade with dozens of disturbing notifications on her cell phone.

“It was really crazy. He was sending me pictures of my house. I was really paranoid all the time,” she said.

Reading the Bible and praying calmed her anxiety.

“It’s just you and God, and you’re just talking one-on-one,” she said. “It’s very comforting, and it works.”

She also followed the practical steps outlined in the jw.org whiteboard animation “Be Social-Network Smart” to protect herself. She told her parents and teachers about the situation and deleted the social media account her bully had targeted.

“I still don’t have that account to this day,” said Madison, now 21.

“Not every situation resolves so easily. But applying the Bible’s advice and focusing on the big picture can help individuals cope and maintain their sense of self-worth,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“The Bible has proven to be a practical resource for many families to navigate difficult situations in life,” said Hendriks. “The principles found in this ancient book can help adults and children resolve conflict and maintain peaceful relationships with others.”

Principles like the so-called Golden Rule of treating others as you’d want to be treated, showing love and being slow to anger are tools that help families in many circumstances.

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