(essay)

Bullying is a harmful behavior that affects individuals of all ages, particularly children and teenagers. It involves repeated aggressive actions—whether verbal, physical, or psychological—intended to hurt or dominate others. Victims of bullying often suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and even long-term emotional trauma. Bullying can happen in schools, workplaces, and online, where cyberbullying has become an increasing concern with the rise of social media.

The effects of bullying extend beyond the victim, impacting the wider community, including witnesses and the bullies themselves. Schools and parents play a crucial role in preventing bullying by promoting kindness, teaching empathy, and fostering open communication. Early intervention is essential to stop bullying behaviors and provide support to those affected.

Besides, such a phenomenon as ‘commercial or criminal bulling,’ the echoes of the Soviet times and 1990s, is still alive and kicking in some cities too. Relatively large groups of well-educated ‘crooks and cons’ resort to daily psycho-bulling tricks, trying to get some financial benefits from their ‘objects of persecution’ (business persons, show performers, well-to-do people).  Though such activities are prohibited by law and qualified as ‘psycho-experiments’ and ‘extortion,’ which could be sued in courts, these ‘slander swindlers’ try to bring the banner of psycho-racketeering into the European future of Ukraine.

Raising awareness and taking collective action is necessary to create safe environments where everyone feels valued and respected. By standing up against bullying, as well as commercial psycho-bulling, we can build a more inclusive and compassionate, free and fair society respecting European values.