Season 2 - Episode 5: Stopping and Preventing Bullying and Taking Care of Yourself

Bullying is something that most of us are pretty familiar with. In fact, at a time, bullying had been so normalized that for a long time, there were no formal interventions. People just accepted that there were bullies and the bullied and that in time things would change.

Unfortunately, bullying has only progressed and has evolved into many forms. According to stopbullying.org:

Students ages 12-18 experienced various types of bullying, including:
Being the subject of rumors or lies (13.4%)
Being made fun of, called names, or insulted (13.0%)
Pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on (5.3%)
Leaving out/exclusion (5.2%)
Threatened with harm (3.9%)
Others tried to make them do things they did not want to do (1.9%)
Their property was destroyed on purpose (1.4%)

There was a time where we thought bullying occurred in school. However, children face bullying at home by their loved ones and with the rise of the internet, bullyings seem to have an incredibly far reach into our lives. Now, you may or may not know your bully.

Believe it or not, bullying, short of harassment isn’t against the law. States have local legislation against bullying, but nothing has been passed at a federal level. Our guest today has the first-hand experience, being both a bully and an interventionist.

One day when she was at work, serving as the PR professional for Muhammed Ali, that she saw how pervasive bullying and the subsequent impact was on even young children. When Muhammed verbally surveyed a group of elementary school students about being bullied and wanting to harm themselves as a result, 30% raised their hands.

Betty Hoeffner is the co-founder and CEO of Hey U.G.L.Y. She is the author of STOP BULLYING HANDBOOK-A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS & THEIR FRIENDS, DEAL FEEL HEAL-KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING AND HEALING EMOTIONAL PAIN, and HUE-MAN KIND-A BOOK TO END RACISM. Hoeffner is a keynote speaker at anti-bullying conferences and resource for the media including national programs like the Steve Harvey Show. She created, and facilitates, Hey U.G.L.Y.’s Stop Bullying Boot Camps, Hue-Man Kind Art Projects, and the DEAL FEEL HEAL-Emotional Healing Program for youth.

You won’t want to miss the incredible insights she shares about Bullying and the impact it has on all of our lives.

Recommended resources:
Deal, Feel, Heal written, by Betty Hoeffner
Almost Bullied to Death a true story written by Victor Vargus and published by HU"
Visit HeyUGLY.org - We are always adding content that can help not only the bullied but those who love them. We have made our powerful I AM ENOUGH school assembly available on Zoom.