Hey guys! I know technically I am supposed to post tomorrow (because it is still the same week), but I have a 2 week mid-term break from school! Chances are that I will post numerous things in a week, and sometimes even a day, because I have so much on my list to tell you! In our English classes, we have been studying Journalism. Part of this unit is obviously to write an article that showcases your learning. So I decided to share the article I wrote with you guys! It is about Sibling Bullying ( We had to write about problems faced by people )- and I hope you like it!
Sibling Bullying
By Shruthi
Many around the world suffer from getting bullied by their siblings. Shruthi Natarajan uncovers solutions for this rising problem.
“Let me get started”. Shruthi Natarajan rushes into her room after reaching home. A tiring day in school doesn’t stop her from being a loving sister, and repaying her brother Rishabh for the most adorable birthday gift ever. After all, he plays a big part in her life! Reetha Natarajan, the mother of the 2 kids found Shruthi’s behaviour very appreciable, as it it isn’t every day that siblings respect each other this much! Very soon, the 6 year old comes back from school, and is welcomed with balloons and a warm hug from his sister.
“ Is this for me?” he asks. “ Of course it is! Why would I not thank my amazing brother for that cute hermione poster he gave me?” Shruthi replies.
But a few hours later, the atmosphere is tense and the overall tone of both siblings had changed. As usual, their love filled hearts turned into soldiers in a war.
“I though this was all for me , but you still broke my favourite balloon!”
“ Oh please, you were the one who popped it, and on top of that you blame me. All my effort always lands in you messing things up”
“I will tell mumma about you!”
“Yea sure, go complain to your dear mumma!”
And off went Rishabh, wailing to his mother about the horrid behaviour of his sister. After a lot of shouting and complaining, the two of them said sorry to each other, and everything was normal again.
This kind of situation isn’t unique to them alone, but is shared by millions of siblings around the world. First, they are nice to each other, and then they fight, but only if they are lucky, they apologise. This isn’t where the problem lies, because in the end, what is a brother and sister relationship without conflicts? Rishabh and Shruthi share a lovely bond, and despite all their differences, they resolve it by the end of the day.
The main issue lies when that line of tolerance is crossed by either one of the siblings… most likely the elder ones. Stretching the issue, or not saying sorry can lead the relationship to the point where there is nothing left to sustain it. Sibling Bullying is a very common problem in the world today. A small fight alone can bring up very huge distances, and challenging decisions, but we must constantly remind ourselves that it is mostly up to the elder sibling to take care and pave the way for their younger ones. It is almost always the case where the younger siblings feel unwanted, because their elder brothers or sisters make them suffer that way.
Nandini Krishna is one such victim of sibling bullying. Her elder brother Aditya is never nice to her, and treats her like she is nothing to him. “ He hates me, and I hate him” is what she said with contempt when asked about her relation with her brother. She believes that elder brothers are usually the ones who trouble their younger sisters. Although she goes through that pain everyday, she has always stayed strong, and faces it by taking revenge, or just ignoring the constant annoyance. But this path of strength is not usually the one chosen by people around the world, as they are subjected to depression.
Research shows that the consequences of Sibling bullying can be as big as adult depression, affecting various other things you do in daily life. It is very difficult for some people to hit the reality that their sibling was also born to the same parents. They treat each other like strangers, and they don’t know where to draw the line between normal fights and bullying. But sometimes, the parents are also at fault. Sometimes, it is the parents who can be the difference between a close relationship and a wrecked one.
Jemma May is one of the few exceptions to sibling bullying, like Shruthi Natarajan. She has an elder brother and a younger one, therefore she has experience in being the younger one and the elder one. Her parents have always encouraged her and her brothers to support one another, and to keep fights at bay. When interviewed, Jemma spoke about her love for her 2 brothers- “I love them! We have playful fights a lot of the time but we get along really well. They complete me!” .
In other cases, parents either don’t pay heed to what their children do, or they are bias to one of them. The bias is what mostly happens, especially in places where people prefer boys to girls. The bias of the parents results in the forever drifting away relationship between the children. As they grow older, their ears are used to the poison that slowly invades their mind, causing them to do the wrong thing. Sometimes, It takes immense courage to stand up to parents like these, and fight for what is right.
Another victim, this time an elder sister, faced the same problem. Chisato Kajiwara comes from a Japanese family who believe that boys are better than girls. This is making Chisato drift further and further away from her younger broth . Despite being the elder one, she has no say in any fight which her brother starts. Her parents immediately take the side of the younger one, and don’t pay heed to what Chisato has to say. “ I wish I was born in your family! I hate my family, especially my brother. He is the cause of my miseries!” she broke down to Shruthi Natarajan, who happened to be her best friend.
There are 2 ways we can end this problem. We can either leave it up to the parents to handle their kids better, or we could actually change ourselves. It might be hard at first, but it can help both you and your sibling shape a better future. We can stop sibling bullying!
“ I am so sorry akka(sister in tamil)!”
“ You know I love you, right Rishu? Next time, even though i didn’t pop that balloon, I will make sure I don’t pop your balloons!”
“ I told you already, you broke it, not me”
“NOT AGAIN!”
“Fine… sorry!”
I hope this has raised awareness about the issue, and make sure you don't commit the same mistake others have committed! Love your siblings, and give them all the affection they need. Anyways- Leave your suggestions as comments below ! :)
¡Adios Amigos!
