Bullying: The Antithesis of Social Justice
Do you remember as a child, there was often someone in your class who was laughed at, poked fun at, or left out of student-initiated activities? Perhaps, the ostracized student may have been you or someone close to you. These are examples of bullying. The National Bullying Prevention Center reports that 20% of all school-age children have reported being the object of this practice.
For youngsters between the ages of 9 and 12, the problem is more severe. This group reports that 49.8% of their number have experienced bullying at school. Almost half of our children go to school each day in fear of facing some sort of verbal or physical abuse or social exclusion. It is no wonder that we see so much intolerance among adults. Most have not yet internalized “The Golden Rule”.
Throughout history, scholars have been aware of the selfish tendency of the powerful to brutalize the weak. They admonish us of the inappropriateness of this behavior. Sasha Blakeley writing on study.com points this out. From an ancient Egyptian text entitled “Tale of the Eloquent Peasant,” written between 2040 and 1782 BCE, she quotes, ‘’Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do.’’
Others who have written on this theme include Isocrates, a Greek rhetorician and orator, writing around 400 BCE who said, ‘’Do not do to others that which angers you when they do it to you;’’ The Persian Zoroaster said, ‘’That character is best that does not do to another what is not good for itself;’’ and according to some sources, Confucius pointed out that, ‘’What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.’’
In Scripture we find, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12). The principle is also found among Muslim traditions, “None of you truly believes until you want for your brother that which you want for yourself.”
This tendency is not limited to individual interactions. The behavior is also apparent when one considers national and international events. Hate crimes against ethnic minorities have been on the rise in the United States since 2016. The aftermath of the January 6th insurrection and the hundreds of indictments against the perpetrators have spawned unprecedented attacks on hundreds of citizens.
There are many examples of bullying endorsed by national governments motivated by greed and power: the chattel enslavement of people of color, colonialism in third-world nations, and apartheid in South Africa are among the more widely known. Yet, the trend continues. In addition to the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, a 247wallst.com special report identifies 11 additional wars around the world, motivated by one entity’s desire for control over others. This is a sad indictement against humanity.
Today, religious, ethnic, and economic bullying continues to oppress the human potential of millions. Equity and social justice are evasive unless we contain our ambitions within divinely inspired moral and ethical boundaries. The Almighty reminds us, “By no means shall you attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth God knows it well.” (Qur’an 3:92). Imagine. What a wonderful world this would be if we collectively gave up the desire for power over others.
