What Harry Potter Teaches Us About Overcoming Bullying

For all you Harry Potter fans, and well really anyone, who are interested in what sort of supports can be helpful for those experiencing bullying, this article -in which PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center is shared as a resource- brilliantly helps to outline what we all can do to make a difference.

Excerpts from SYFY WIRE web page.

First a little context:

Harry Potter, the boy who lived, not only survived the death of his parents and the multiple attacks on his life, but he and his friends also dealt with severe bullying and emotional abuse throughout their school days. The ten years he spent living with his relatives before finding out he was a wizard were filled with being shamed, neglected, ignored, and criticized by his relatives, and bullied. To make matters worse, because his aunt and uncle hated him and because all the other kids Harry’s age were afraid of his cousin, Dudley, Harry went through these years of emotional abuse completely on his own. In addition, both Ron and Hermione are also bullied at Hogwarts for their heritage (Ron for his family being poor and Hermione for being born to non-magical parents).

Second, a helpful analogy

How do we heal? Clearly, bullying and emotional abuse can lead to painful long-term effects. Many well-intentioned but misinformed individuals may advise us to try to “forget about it,” “just don’t think about it” and “focus on the positive.” Unfortunately, suppressing our emotions doesn’t work and will often backfire, making us feel worse. In the Fantastic Beasts series, we learn that when a witch or a wizard suppresses their magical ability, they are likely to be harmed by such emotion suppression, potentially creating dark, explosive energy of repressed emotion (an Obscurus). In reality, the more we suppress our emotions, the more intensely we are likely to feel them over time.

What does seem to help people heal from living with bullying and the aftermath of traumatic experiences are social support and meaning-making. Receiving social support from a friend, a family member, or a romantic partner can help us feel less distressed, more secure, and can give us the courage to take bigger steps in our own lives. Furthermore, research studies show that receiving support, such as a friendly gesture, hug or hand-holding, can significantly reduce someone’s physical and emotional pain. For example, after Cedric’s death, Harry spends most of the summer dealing with his traumatic experiences alone. However, when he is reunited with his friends and his godfather, Harry is able to feel better over time. He is, of course, still struggling with his traumatic experience. Similarly, when Draco Malfoy and his cronies go after Ron and Hermione, the two are better able to manage the painful effects of being bullied when they have their friends’ support.

Third, if you would like to read the full article

Visit SYFY WIRE at https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/what-harry-potter-teaches-us-about-overcoming-bullying

Fourth, learn "What You Can Do"