Prof. Dr. Tarhan, who revealed with figures that cyberbullying has reached alarming dimensions, especially among young people, stated that one out of every three young people is a victim of peer bullying, and this rate rises to 40 percent in cyberbullying. Tarhan pointed out that this is a global mental health threat.
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the issue of peer bullying on the program 'Nevzat Tarhan ile Akla Ziyan' broadcast on EKOTÜRK.
Cyberbullying has evolved from individual actions into an organized structure
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that cyberbullying, one of today's biggest threats, has transformed far beyond an innocent social media spat into a deliberate and organized 'psychological warfare' tool, emphasizing that this situation is a global threat and particularly targets the mental health of young people.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that for an act to be considered 'bullying,' it must meet criteria such as being systematic, intentional, repetitive, and involving a power imbalance between the parties. He added, 'When these criteria are met, there is a clear crime. Those who commit this crime must pay a price; otherwise, a cyber anarchy will prevail in society where the strong crush the weak.'
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that cyberbullying has now moved beyond individual actions and taken on an organized structure. He said, 'A group operates like troll armies to discredit the person they target. This could be a political project or a psychological warfare move. The fact that the UK established a social media unit in 2015, using the military term 'brigade,' is the clearest proof of how seriously states take this area. The goal is to spread disinformation or discredit targets.'
Cyberbullying is very common among young people
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, expressing with figures that cyberbullying has reached alarming dimensions especially among young people, stated, 'Studies show that one out of every three young people is a victim of peer bullying. However, when it comes to cyberbullying, this rate rises to 40 percent. This is a global mental health threat.'
Emphasizing the destructive effects of cyberbullying on young people, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, 'This situation leads to severe school refusal, a decline in academic performance, social withdrawal, depression, and anxiety disorders in adolescents.'
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that children who are 'academically intelligent but have weak social and emotional skills' are particularly more vulnerable to bullying and should be evaluated for social communication disorders.
If there is violence at home, the child learns bullying
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that bullying is often rooted in wrong problem-solving methods learned by the child within the family, saying, 'In childhood aggressions, live examples, meaning family attitudes, come first. A child who sees a culture of 'I'll put you in your place if I hit you' at home learns bullying as a method of seeking rights.'
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that adolescence can be defined as a 'normally schizophrenic period' where young people discover life and develop their social skills, and during this process, emotions override logic, and young people can act without considering the consequences.
'Expecting zero mistakes from an adolescent is not realistic, on the contrary, it is harmful. Young people have the right to make mistakes because that is how they learn about life,' said Prof. Dr. Tarhan, adding, 'The family should teach the child emotional and social boundaries by taking a clear stance, especially on fundamental issues such as violence and lying. Just like a building has doors and windows, emotions also have boundaries.'
Bullying cannot thrive in an environment where good deeds are widespread
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that bullying is not limited to hitting and breaking, but that violence has three different faces: physical, verbal, and social. He added that individuals who engage in bullying often suffer from a lack of self-confidence and try to satisfy their egos by crushing and devaluing others.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that existing programs developed to combat increasing peer bullying in schools fall short by focusing on 'fighting evil.' He said, 'The best way to fight darkness is to light a candle. The most effective way to prevent bullying is to increase goodness, sharing, and cooperation in classrooms. The Ministry of National Education must urgently make 'Random Acts of Kindness Projects' a policy.'
Prof. Dr. Tarhan gave the 'Random Acts of Kindness Project,' successfully implemented in California schools, as an example, stating, 'Students are given credits for working in an elderly care home or a center for people with disabilities. Young people both witness suffering and reinforce these behaviors by experiencing the spiritual pleasure of doing good deeds.'
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that peer bullying has become a global problem and countries like Finland are seeking solutions for it. He said, 'In our culture, there is not only the struggle against evil, but also the strengthening and increasing of good. Bullying cannot thrive in an environment where good deeds are widespread.'
The foundation of being bullied is also laid at home
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that bullying is often rooted in the adolescent's feeling of 'not being treated as a human' at home. He made vital warnings to families about how they communicate with their children, explaining that criticisms targeting the child's personality, such as 'You'll never amount to anything, you're foolish,' will destroy their self-confidence and make them a candidate for bullying victimization. He added that correct criticism is to criticize only the behavior and efforts with a reason, by saying, 'You are a good child, but this behavior is not right for this reason.'
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that children raised in cultures of pressure and fear grow up with the motto 'don't ask, don't think, obey,' which leads to generations who are not entrepreneurial or innovative, but merely obedient. He stated, 'It becomes a quiet society, but big explosions occur with a small problem.'
Dialogue should be prioritized over monologue within the family
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that individuals who engage in bullying are actually people who try to cover up their own weaknesses and cannot confront themselves. He said, 'For this cycle to be broken, dialogue must be prioritized over monologue within the family. In our culture, there are outdated stereotypical thoughts like 'the word belongs to the elder, silence to the younger.' Children raised in this 'ladylike, gentlemanly' manner, even if respectful, are candidates for bullying victims because they allow themselves to be suppressed.' He added that it is essential for these young people to be given 'no-saying skills' and assertiveness training.
Underlining that social and emotional intelligence are as vital as academic intelligence, Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that raising 'project children' by focusing only on studying is a big mistake.
'These children may be first in school but fail in the business world, which is like a 'wolf's table,' because they haven't learned where and how to behave,' said Prof. Dr. Tarhan, emphasizing that social intelligence is not innate but a learnable skill.
Imposing legal obligations on media companies to protect children
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the panic of families and schools in the face of peer bullying is wrong, saying, 'Let's not see peer bullying as a threat. It is a development opportunity for the child to learn life's difficulties, solve problems, and become the captain of their own ship. Our duty is not to raise our children like hothouse flowers, but to prepare them to swim in this stormy sea.'
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that the biggest victims of the pandemic period, contrary to popular belief, were not the elderly but children drawn into digital addiction. He made an urgent call to the Ministry of Transport, emphasizing that, as in Europe, legal obligations should be imposed on media companies to protect children, otherwise a generation would be lost.
Children should solve problems among themselves
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that families immediately calling the other party's family in bullying cases is a 'primitive' and 'easy' method. He said, 'The problem is between two children. The priority is for these two children to learn to solve the problem among themselves with the guidance of a school counselor, without involving families at all. The main goal is not so much to solve the incident, but to teach the child a life lesson from that incident, in other words, to create an opportunity for education. Advanced education systems call this 'silent education'; the problem is solved within relationships, unconsciously.'
Adolescents can act impulsively and without considering the consequences
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that adolescents' frontal lobes are not yet fully matured, causing them to act impulsively and without considering the consequences. He said, 'School counselors should analyze whether the incident was intentional, impulsive, or an unintentional mistake. The solution should be shaped according to this analysis.'
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that as a modern and effective punishment method, community service penalties, such as 'working in an elderly care home three days a week and reporting it,' could be given to students who engage in bullying, adding that such practices could also be implemented in Turkey. He said, 'The goal here is to enable that young person to empathize by experiencing feelings of guilt and remorse, and to reintegrate them into society. Otherwise, punishments reinforce the young person's paranoid thoughts and make them feel 'constantly at war,' leading to greater mental health problems.'
Children ignored at home…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that bullying children who enjoy doing harm are usually rooted in 'being deprived of love but raised with excessive discipline.' He said, 'These children feel worthless and learn to satisfy their egos by crushing others. A child ignored at home, even when beaten, thinks 'they are aware of my existence' and tries to control people, fueled by anger.'
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, drawing attention to the deep psychological reasons underlying bullying, added that the worst punishment that can be given to a child is to 'ignore' them.