Medan, July 17, 2017 – I recall hearing repeated news about three students bullying a student with a disability at Gunadarma University.
The student who was bullied was autistic. Autism is a condition where an individual lives in their own world and is classified as a mental disability.
Farhan, in a news report aired by SCTV, suggested that excessive joking might have been the cause.
If this is true, then there's a need for education on being careful with words, writing, and jokes to prevent causing hurt feelings, a lesson best instilled from an early age.
Frankly, I'm less interested in the root causes of bullying.
My focus is more on its consequences, how to address it, and how to prevent it from occurring in the first place.
Farhan, in addition to the above, also remarked, "If the bullied individual is perceived as being at fault, should they simply be left to be bullied to death?"
"Here are some tips for parents of children with special needs.
First, parents must be open with their community about their child's condition. Second, teach empathy," Farhan continued.
In my opinion, empathy needs to be taught, ideally from an early age. Why? Because empathy fosters a sense of care in people. So, how does one practice empathy?
Empathy involves understanding what others feel and considering the impact of one's actions.
However, if one becomes overly absorbed in those feelings, it crosses into sympathy, not empathy.
Beyond fostering care, empathy also helps prevent mental bullying, especially when someone is struggling or confiding in others. Unfortunately, in today's world, people facing difficulties are often met with laughter, insults, mockery, neglect, ostracization, or are simply cast aside.
Let's strive to be better, starting now.