Bullying.

A common problem in any school, whether it’s Primary, Secondary, or Upper school.  Picture this. You’re the new kid, someone who loves to wear bright, weird clothes. But, immediately, everybody thinks you’re weird. Not worth their 2 seconds, to say hello. They talk about you behind your back, saying rude things, not caring how it affected you. Here are some stats for you.  Over 3.2 MILLION kids are bullied in ONE year. Out of those 3.2 million, over 4,000 of those bullied kids commit or try to commit suicide.  Imagine that was you, in the position.

 

Depression is a common factor in bullying, as well as withdrawal from people, even family. Some even turn to self-harm. “Sure, I’ve been bullied, but haven’t we all at one point or another?” Says one 8th grader.  While this may be true, and lot of times it can escalate quickly. From what may start out as teasing, can lead to depression, and even then, suicide.

Some people have been asked, by an Anonymous person, what they would’ve/have done when someone was bullied.

 

“Well, I mean, it was hard to watch, but it’s not like you’re just going to step in. I wouldn’t want to get hurt! That’s just a dumb thing to do.” Says one 7th grader.

 

“I would step in! Even if it was an older person being the bully, I would step in!” Says a fierce 6th grader.

 

An interview with a former victim, who wishes to remain anonymous and we will call them Sam, shows us just what bullying can do.

 

“Sometimes it would get so bad, that my mom would basically have to drag me out of my bed,” Sam says, “Sometimes, I would wonder, ‘Why me?’ I mean, what did I do that was so bad that I had to be bullied for it? I would stick to myself, my grades dropped, and I withdrew from pretty much everyone.  It was really bad. And, yes… It’s hard to admit, but there WERE times I was thinking about taking my own life.”

 

After this interview, it became obvious that this person, Sam, was not alone. As we interviewed more people, it became very clear, that bullying was a HUGE issue.  Suicide and depression very often go overlooked. But even now, with new insults, and people who think they are so much better, it’s hard NOT to be picked on, or even bullied.  But here are some ways you can stop bullying.

 

• Stand up!! Everybody feels better if you stand up for them! Plus it gives a little shock to the bully.
• Become friends with the victim! It makes them feel not so alone.
• Don’t cheer on the bully!! That itself, is just common knowledge.

Just these things on their own, can help you stand up to bullies. Or, JUST WALK AWAY.