Do I click with the clique?

Do I click with the clique?

By Jenna Hallett

    Many people do not respect the impact character education has upon their life, and others around them. Character education is learning about the positive or negative behaviors of a person. If schools took more time to acknowledge the importance of character education, then people in the world would be more accepting of others. People would be known for who they are on the inside, not what they looked like, or where they came from. People could also be more cautious of others’ feelings. They would think before rattling off a rude comment, or before getting physical with someone. If everyone put effort towards avoiding clique mentality, then no one would be excluded based on who they truly are. 

    Clique mentality is when a person feels the need to bully people, make others feel badly about themselves, and make judgments towards others. This kind of negative mentality is like a sharply pointed knife, because it cuts schools apart based on first impressions. There are many different kinds of cliques. A clique is a group of people that join together to exclude others. A lot of the time kids are simply spending time with kids that have the same interest, but sometimes kids exclude others on purpose. For example, kids that do well in school are considered “nerds,” and kids that play sports are also considered “jocks.” There is also a popular clique. You are what you wear. If you dress in the latest trends, then you have a better chance of being in the “popular group.” The goal of others should be to realize that you do not need to exclude others to feel noticed.
    Clique mentality is used, because some kids try to hide their insecurities instead of speaking up and telling a trusted adult. They fear speaking up to an adult, because they are afraid they will be considered a “weird” kid, and booted from their group. Peers think they are protected in their clique, and it helps them avoid rejection. They want to smother your accomplishments. They fear you will come along and take their spot in the clique. Members of the clique crave popularity; they want to feel needed, or recognized when they are in a clique. Knowing that people are all around you, and “adore” you makes you feel needed, or important. If everyone were educated about clique mentality this type of behavior would not exist.
    There are multiple strategies to use when coming across clique mentality. Trying to ignore the situation is very useful. Avoiding cliques will show the bully that you do not fear them. Maintaining a positive attitude, and neglecting negative attention will minimize the cliques’ power. Calmly talking to the clique will also get them to understand that you are not into their snotty behavior. As Piglet once said from Winnie The Pooh, “It is hard to be brave, when you’re only a very small animal.” It is hard to stand up for yourself when you feel so small, but it’s not impossible. One person can help to make a change. Lastly, students should tell a trusted adult about any issues they are having with a clique. If everyone knew strategies to use when coming across clique mentality then cliques’ power would be minimized, and we would not have to stress about negative clique mentality occurring in our school.
    There are many steps to help avoiding clique mentality from occurring at your school. For example, ignoring peer pressure, such as not picking on an innocent classmate because another classmate told you to. Having a mix it up day at school is a good way to avoid excluding others. Sitting with others at lunch, or playing with other kids at recess are good ways to get a mix it up day started. It only takes a few people to start a change, so why not be the first? You could also go out of your way to talk to someone new, or chat with an old classmate. One comment could change someone’s day, or life. Some people do not realize that one comment could negatively cause someone to change drastically. One positive comment could do the same, but for the better. Why make someone’s day bad, or worse when you could change it for the better with a few kind words. If everyone were to follow those few simple guidelines of kindness, then clique mentality could be stopped; not only in schools, but also in our world.
    If we redirect our energy towards avoiding clique mentality, then people would not be excluded for who they are on the inside. It’s important to remember what clique mentality is, why clique mentality is used, what to do when coming across clique mentality, and how to prevent clique mentality from occurring in your school. Lastly, I have told you about clique mentality, but here are my opinions about it. The only way to eliminate clique mentality is to forgive those who have purposely excluded us. People can change, so give someone a chance when they ask for forgiveness. I believe that clique mentality is wrong. It makes others emotionally unstable, does not allow people to live up to their full potentials, ruins others self-esteem, makes them socially inadequate, ruins peoples’ relationships with others, and it is a waste of time and energy. If we can put effort into improving clique mentality, and not purposely exclude others, why not put that effort and energy into changing the world for the better.