While the world is improving in terms of acceptance and diversity, some social issues are still prevalent. Bullying is one of them. Despite the endorsement of multiple anti-bullying campaigns across several forms of media, it remains prevalent, with hundreds of individuals falling victim to it daily.

According to a survey in 2021, American schools harbor a significant number of bullies, such that 15% of kids in grades 9-12 admit to being bullied at school. This indicates bullying is an important societal issue that needs to be addressed to help victims.
What Exactly Is Bullying?
According to StopBullying, a government organization that advocates against it, bullying is defined as an unwanted behavior pattern in children and adolescents with a perceived sense of power imbalance. The behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.
According to UNICEF, there are three main prerequisites to bullying: intent, repetition, and a perceived sense of power. Bullying is a repeated pattern of behavior rather than a one-time incident where the bully intends to hurt the victim. It starts as early as elementary schools, with 20% of 4th graders reporting being bullied, and it becomes more prevalent in high schools.
What Are The Different Types Of Bullying?
Knowing the different types helps parents and teachers pick up on these patterns and act accordingly.
Types of bullying include:
- Physical Bullying: this implies physical attacks on someone or their belongings. It includes hitting, kicking, throwing, pushing, and breaking someone’s things.
- Verbal or Psychological Bullying: this kind of bullying includes verbal abuse, such as calling the victim names, threatening them, and teasing them about stuff that they’re sensitive to.
- Social Bullying: the bully intends to isolate the victim, cause emotional pain, or hurt their reputation. This is done by spreading rumors about them, humiliating them in public, or threatening their good friends not to hang out with them.
The latter two forms of bullying have sadly become more familiar with social media. Bullies can hide behind fake or anonymous social media accounts and continue their torment without fear of any repercussions.
How Does Bullying Affect The Victim?
While bullying happens at a relatively young age, its effects can last life-long, causing victims to suffer even when they grow up to be functional adults. Some of the after-effects of bullying include:
- Physical injuries such as cuts, lacerations, and fractures due to being hit or pushed. These can sometimes be serious and result in life-long disabilities
- Social isolation, including avoiding family members
- Eating disorders
- Decline in academic performance due to increased school absenteeism and lower grades
- Low self-esteem
- Thoughts of self-harm and suicidal ideation
- Mental illnesses like anxiety and depression
- Inability to form stable relationships due to lack of trust and self-confidence
- Communication problems
- Substance abuse and heavy drinking
- Partaking in disruptive activities such as theft and becoming homicide perpetrators
- Suicide
Given these effects of bullying, friends and family of the victim must step up in these times of distress and take measures to help the victims.
How Can We Help Bully Victims?
While we should try to prevent bullying by teaching our kids how wrong it is, sometimes it happens despite our best efforts. If you or someone you know has already been a victim, there are still steps you can take to lessen the blow and regain hope for a better life.
Reassurance and Motivation
The bullying dynamic mainly works because the bully perceives himself as more powerful than the victim. Suppose you constantly reassure and motivate the victim that they’re no less and have all the same capabilities. In that case, you can help them notice how they’re gifted, considerate, and an overall better human being than the bully.
Talk to the victim about how the bully is acting from a place of insecurities himself, and there is no reason why what he says or does has to matter. Breaking this hold of power can help the victim regain their confidence and fight back the next time they are bullied. It’s never too late to make new friends and start again.
Involve Someone In Authority
Depending on how the bullying is happening, be sure to report the bullying and involve a person who has authority. If it’s happening on school grounds, report it to the principal so they can take appropriate action in time. If you know the bully’s parents, approach them and talk to them about their child’s harmful behaviors.
If the bullying happens online, most countries have a cyberbullying cell that investigates and punishes these cases by law.
Reassure the victim that they’re not alone and need to speak up if they’re being affected.
Seek Professional Help
Suppose bullying has been happening for a while now. In that case, the chances are that its effects are probably bothersome and deep-rooted by now. While a change in the environment and partaking in healthy social activities might help, it is encouraged that victims speak to a therapist or counselor. This will help them gain insight into their problem and ensure it is approached in the right manner for long-term resolution.
Pray
If you’re a religious person, this is a wonderful opportunity to turn to God and ask him for his mercy in helping this victim of bullying recover. Prayer and the act of praying helps victims feel less alone and gives them this profound sense of safety in God’s love.
Prayers For Victims of Bullying
If you’re wondering where to start, here are some prayers you can recite for bullying victims:
Prayer for the cessation of bullying:
Heavenly Father,
In Your boundless compassion, we find refuge. Today, we lift our hearts to You, praying earnestly for the tempest of bullying to cease.
In the name of Jesus, we ask for Your wisdom to envelop those caught in the cycle of causing pain, so that they might see the harm in their actions and turn towards empathy and understanding. Illuminate their paths with Your love, transforming the hearts of bullies into fountains of compassion.
For the ones wearing scars from these battles, both seen and unseen, wrap them in Your comforting embrace. Let them feel Your presence, a soothing balm, healing wounds and mending spirits.
Unite us, O God, in a bond of love that rejects hate, bridges divides, and uplifts the downtrodden. May our collective prayer be a lighthouse, guiding society to harbor in Your unconditional love, where everyone is valued and fear has no dominion.
Amen.
Prayer for the recovery of the victim:
Heavenly Father,
In Your omnipotent kindness, hear our prayer for those besieged by emotional bullying. Like tender reeds bent by harsh winds, their spirits are weary from words that wound. O Lord, we ask for Your healing balm to soothe these invisible injuries, to mend what has been torn inside.
Grant them the strength to rise each morning with renewed hope, knowing that You are with them. Help them to see themselves through Your eyes, as precious beings worthy of love and respect. Instill in them a spirit of forgiveness, not just towards those who have hurt them, but also towards themselves.
Amen.
Prayer for courage to stand against bullies:
Heavenly Father,
In the shadowed corners of our schools, workplaces, and communities, where the vulnerable are oppressed, grant us Your courage. Let Your light embolden us to stand firm for the ones who tremble, to be their voice when fear silences them.
Lord Jesus Christ, weave valor into the tapestry of our souls. May it be as natural to us as breathing, that standing up for others becomes our second nature. Teach us that bravery does not always roar but sometimes whispers, urging one more step, one more word in defense of another. In moments of doubt, remind us that You are both the source of our strength and the architect of our courage.
And in our quest to protect, let us never forget the armor You provide – faith, hope, love – each piece is a testament to Your eternal presence alongside us.
Amen.
Prayer to get over the fear of bullies:
Heavenly Father,
In the quiet moments of my soul, I seek Your holy spirit. As the waves of fear and intimidation crash against my spirit, I reach out for Your unchanging hand. You, who calmed the stormy sea, calm the tempest in my heart. Like David before Goliath, equip me with unwavering faith to face the giants in my life.
God’s word says, Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). In this promise, I find courage. Let Your love cast out every fear, and Your light dispels the shadows of intimidation.
In moments of doubt, remind me that I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. May Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus’ name. For it is in His mighty name, I pray,
Amen.
Prayer for workplace bullying:
Dear God,
Please give me the strength and courage to stand up against the bullying I am experiencing at work. Help me to speak out in the face of adversity and to stand up for myself. Give me the wisdom to handle this situation with grace and integrity. Protect me from harm and guide me towards a resolution that is fair and just. In Jesus name,
Amen.
Prayer for protection against cyberbullying:
Heavenly Father,
Take this as my righteous cry against the harm caused by cyberbullying. I pray for your shield of defense to surround me and keep me safe from the hurtful words and actions of those who bully me online.
I ask for your wisdom and guidance as I navigate through this difficult time. Help me to know when to confront my cyber bullies and when to seek help from others. Give me the strength and courage to stand up against their cruelty and to believe in myself and my worth.
I also pray for my cyber bullies that they may come to see the harm their actions cause and change their ways.
I trust in your loving and faithful nature, dear God. I know that with you by my side, I can overcome any obstacle. Thank you for your love and grace.
Amen.
Prayer for your children who are being bullied:
Mighty God,
Please watch over and protect this child who is being bullied. Give them strength and courage to stand up for themselves and the wisdom to seek help. Surround them with loving and supportive friends and family. Help their bullies to understand the harm they are causing and to change their behavior. Give comfort and peace to the child and their loved ones.
Amen.
Prayer for all victims of bullying in general:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come before you with a heavy heart, seeking your divine intervention and comfort for all those who are victims of bullying. Lord, you see the pain and hurt they carry, and I ask that you wrap them in your loving arms, providing solace and strength.
Help them to find their voice, to speak up against injustice, and to seek support from those who can offer help and understanding.
I also lift up the perpetrators of bullying, dear God. Soften their hearts and show them the error of their ways. Teach them empathy and the value of kindness so they may cease causing harm to others.
Furthermore, I pray for society as a whole. May we foster an environment of acceptance, respect, and compassion where bullying has no place to thrive.
In your infinite wisdom and boundless love, I trust that you will heal the wounds inflicted by bullying and replace them with grace and peace.
Amen.
Prayer for bullies and victims, both
Faithful God,
Today, I bring before you the pain and suffering caused by bullying, and I seek your divine love and healing. Lord, pour out your grace upon those who have been deeply wounded by the cruelty of the powerful enemy. Lift their spirits and mend their broken hearts. Grant them the resilience to move forward with hope and the ability to choose forgiveness over bitterness.
I also pray for the bullies themselves, dear Lord. Touch their hearts and minds, transforming their attitudes and beliefs. Replace their aggression and hatred with empathy and understanding. Show them the beauty that lies in embracing differences and treating others with kindness.
In your infinite love and mercy, hear our prayers and bring an end to the pain and trauma inflicted by bullying. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, who taught us to love one another, I offer these supplications.
Amen.
If these prayers are hard to remember, you can also just pray in simple terms. Together, we can hope that our efforts take effect and that bullying is one day eradicated from society.