A Culture of Harassment

 

I spent most of my adult life working with teenagers, including eleven years as a high school counselor.  Harassment and bullying were one consistent reality.  The level of pain kids could inflict on each other never ceased to amaze me.  I know some students were scarred for life because of the words and actions of their peers.  I was aware that such behavior took place in the adult world as well.  I encountered more that enough parents who were capable of using words and threats to gain the upper hand on behalf of their children.  Reality is; the fruit does not fall far from the tree.

Now, a new report from Pew Research has revealed that harassment and bullying among adults is an increasing problem in America.  I guess I could have expected such in a volatile political and social climate.  Unfortunately, social media has made it much too convenient for people to say angry and hurtful things about each other.  According to the report, roughly four-in-ten Americans (41%) have personally experience online harassment.  Name calling, physical threats and stalking were the most common forms of online harassment and bullying.

Young adults, ages 18-29, are most impacted by this rising trend.  Almost two-thirds (64%) of young adults reported that they had been harassed online, with almost half (48%) saying the harassment was “severe.”  Almost half (49%) of those ages 30-49 had experienced online harassment.  Even older adults over 65 have experienced online harassment, with one-in-five (21%) having faced it in some form.  As we might anticipate, women and ethnic minorities as more frequently the victims.

The Church, as the Body of Christ, is called to play a role in the chaos.  This is a major challenge since the church has an image problem from the perspective of many young adults.  The church is not viewed as a safe place to express an opinion or even ask for help.  It must begin on a personal level in the way we interact with and treat those around us, especially those who might not agree with us.  It also might require us to be a little less quick to speak and to measure our words when we do.