A new music video by the amazing group BYU Vocal Point released on their YouTube channel on 2 May 2017, appropriately illustrates the effects that being bullied can have on an individual.
The video is an excellent a cappella cover of “You Will Be Found” from the musical “Dear Evan Hansen.” Scenes from the video which were filmed on location at the Juab High School in Nephi, Utah, set the stage perfectly for the delivery of the powerful message that is intended to be conveyed. Through their true to life performances, lead actors Coby Oram, Sunny Whiting, Mikelle Lemperle, Jaden Magleby, and Angelina Whitehead drive the powerful message home that bullying is wrong in so many ways.
At times, people can be cruel and unkind to others. Some may not realize the things that they say and do are hurtful and demeaning to others. Still, there are others who despitefully taunt others every chance they get and celebrate their belittling of others with laughter or vicious gossip about the person being taunted by their peers. The latter can be described as a form of bullying. A standard dictionary definition of the word “bully” is “the use of superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.” Synonyms for the verb “bully” include: persecute, oppress, tyrannize, browbeat, harass, torment, and intimidate.
Often when the topic of bullying is discussed, it is about a student bullying another student or students on the school campus. However, that is not the only place that bullying occurs. It also occurs in the workplace, in the public square, oftentimes in secret, and sadly, it also occurs within the walls of churches. Regardless of where it occurs, the point is that it is wrong.
Bullying, which can be classified into four different types – verbal, social, physical, and cyber – is a serious problem, especially among youth. It can range from simple one-on-one bullying to more complex bullying in which the primary bully may have another person or persons assist in his or her bullying activities. The “targets” or “victims” of bullying are often made to feel inferior to their peers, leaving them to feel alone and rejected. They are often the recipients of unwarranted threats (including cyber threats), the subject of malicious rumors, the objects of physical or verbal abuse (including inappropriate sexual comments), and deliberately excluded from certain groups. Many tend to “crawl into their shell” and distance themselves from others as they silently cry for help, whereas others turn to more drastic measures such as suicide to alleviate the incessant pain, humiliation, and harassment that they receive.
The good news is that there is hope. A person who is being harassed or bullied need not feel alone and rejected. The message to anyone who is being bullied is “You Will Be Found.” As the video beautifully points out through dramatization and the powerful voices of BYU Vocal point and the accompanying vocals of a Moab choir and the Juab High School Choir, there are those who do care, who will listen, and are willing to be a friend. “Even when the dark comes crashing through. When you need a friend to carry you. And when you’re broken on the ground. You will be found” (Lyrics from the song).
