Bullying
Exodus International affirms that gay-identified individuals and those who struggle with same-sex attraction are persons for whom Jesus Christ died and loves equally. Therefore, we strongly oppose bullying, name calling and acts of aggression against any individual or group of individuals for any reason. These actions have no place in our society and we must, instead, affirm behavior that validates the personal worth and dignity God bestows upon every human being.
In addition, every individual deserves equal protection and every offender should receive equal punishment. We call upon other organizations concerned with preserving the essential equality of all individuals to exhibit impartiality in their policies, rather than singling out some for special treatment.
What is Bullying:
“A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself” – Dan Olweus (http://olweus.org/public/bullying.page)
Types of Bullying:
- Racial Bullying – hostile or offensive actions based upon ethnicity or skin color.
- Sexual Bullying – hostile or offensive actions based upon gender, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.
- Cyberbullying – the use of electronic media to threaten, torment, harass, or embarrass.
- Physical Bullying – an act of physical aggression against another
- Verbal Bullying – use of words to threaten, demean, ridicule, or torment another.
- Social Bullying – intentional actions contributing to exclusion and ridicule from peer groups
Every human being is a person for whom Jesus Christ died, is of immeasurable, intrinsic worth and should be treated with respect and dignity. Bullying, name-calling and acts of aggression against any individual or group of individuals should not be tolerated for any reason.
Cruelty can never be justified. Bullying is a lose/lose situation. It is an inappropriate, ineffective method to solve conflict and harms others in the process. It should not be permitted or encouraged in any setting for any reason.
A Bullying Environment
A bullying environment is not based around one primary person. There are often those who are in alliance but do not actively initiate or take a primary role. They may show support through laughter, encouragement, or calling attention to the circumstance. Others may not support the actions outwardly but are in agreement internally and therefore participate passively.
Onlookers are those who do not take a stand or actively participate in the situation. Neither do they come to the defense of the victim or seek help from authorities. Their position is passive and often comes under the guise of seeming neutral or not wanting to become involved.
All of the above contributes to a bullying environment. It is the responsibility of all individuals to help create and maintain an environment that is safe and respectful for all.
Creating a Safe Environment
All Christians should help create a safe, harassment-free, and diverse environment in the workplace and on school and college campuses.
“Learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” Isaiah 1:17
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Proverbs 31:8
True tolerance is best expressed when people treat each other with respect, even when they disagree. They are willing to hear each other out, engage in dialog, and pursue a peaceful and friendly environment in the midst of opposing views.
A safe environment also includes the absence of marginalizing and dismissive labels such as hate, bigotry, and “anti-_____” that are often used to intimidate and silence an opposing point of view.
How Should I Respond?
- Make sure your actions and language communicates value and respect of others.
- Whenever possible, make an effort to stop any harassment or name-calling you see.
- Share and defend your beliefs with gentleness and respect, and pursue honest dialog with those who disagree.
- Reach out in authentic friendship to those who have been bullied. Many have shared about the impact of someone who showed support and kindness in their difficult circumstance.
What Should I Do If Someone Is Being Bullied?
- Speak Up! Let them know that you disagree with their behavior and tell them to stop.
- Talk to the person being bullied. Many times they will be scared or embarrassed of the situation. Let them know that you care and they can rely on you for support. Encourage them to talk to an adult, supervisor or campus advisor.
- If possible, intervene. Assist those who are the targets of bullying. In some situations, passive onlookers will become engaged as someone takes initiative and responds to halt the abuse.
- If the abuse is physical, contact the appropriate leadership/authorities immediately.
- In the event of Cyberbullying, do not participate in the forwarding or promotion of offensive material. Notify parents/guardians or campus authorities of the situation.
- If you are the victim of Cyberbullying, don’t respond to their messages. Block or “unfriend” the offending person(s) whenever possible. Save evidence of the bullying and show it the appropriate adults or campus advisors. You can also report the incident to your service provider.
- Talk to your friends who are actively or passively participating when someone is being bullied. Help them to understand how harmful their actions or lack of action can be to an individual who is being harassed. You may share from your personal experience of being bullied or teased. Often, personal experiences can have a huge impact on people’s perspective of the issue
As A Christian, How Do I Stand
- Make a commitment to do your part in making your campus a harassment-free environment; promote real tolerance, kindness and honest dialogue.
- As a follower of Jesus Christ, dedicate yourself to communicate His love and His offer of relationship with God to everyone, without exceptions.
- Uphold the Biblical teaching that sexuality was purposefully created for marriage between a man and a woman.
- Uphold the belief that homosexual, bisexual or transgender behavior and/or identity are outside of the intentional design of human relationships and sexuality, and therefore aren’t what’s best for us, regardless of whether we are drawn to them.
- Uphold the belief that people who are personally affected by these issues are free to determine their own identity, and can choose to pursue freedom and change, as evidenced by the many people who have successfully done so.
- Reject the notion that Christian beliefs somehow amount to hatred, bigotry, or a “phobia.”
- Be committed to sharing these beliefs respectfully and defending them knowledgeably and compassionately.
- Understand that it’s healthy and good to have ongoing debate on these issues, for each side to seek to change other’s minds through thoughtful dialog—which is very different from harassment.
- Understand that no individual or group’s safety is dependent upon the silence of another individual or group’s beliefs, and that no one’s rights should come at the expense of someone else’s.
- Hold to the true meaning of tolerance: that people with differing—and sometimes opposing—views can still treat each other with dignity, kindness and respect, even if they can’t find common ground on a certain issue. Commit to live out true tolerance to others.
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