Did you know that one in every five students aged twelve to eighteen experience bullying throughout their school year? Approximately 160,000 students skipped school just to avoid bullying. What would you do if you saw bullying occurring in school? Would you step in and intervene? Sixty-two percent of students have witnessed bullying two or more times in the last month. These statistics really show that bullying is one of the most epidemic things that happen in schools, and it is especially more prevalent in middle schools. When some people commit suicide it is sixty-five percent due to because they were being bullied at the time. Let's make a change in our society and stop bullying altogether! 

Bullying is a very broad category because it can happen in many forms. Victims can be subjected to verbal, physical, relational abuse, or cyber-bullying. “Verbal abuse is the act of forcefully criticizing, insulting, or denouncing another person” (Verbal Abuse). Physical abuse, according to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services is: "Non-accidental use of force that results in bodily injury, pain, or impairment. Cyber-bullying is the “use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature” (Cyber-bullying). Moreover, relational abuse is a “type of aggression in which harm is caused by damaging someone's relationships or social status” (Relational Aggression). Bullying is not okay, and it takes away people’s self-esteem and confidence. Bullies need to be stopped! 

Bullying “is when an individual or a group of people with more power, repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people who feel helpless to respond” (National Centre Against Bullying). Bullying does not suddenly appear all of a sudden in most cases. It develops over time. In some families, children experience physical violence or verbal aggression to control others. These experiences have a tendency to make children believe it is okay to treat others this way, and therefore they are more likely to turn into a bully at an early age. “Young children around the ages of two-four may begin using aggression to defend their possessions, friendships or territories. Older children begin to use aggression-related behaviors to threaten or intimidate other children” (Early Bullying). Boys and girls typically bully others in different ways from each other. For boys specifically, they typically deliver straight direct forms of verbal and physical aggression to show dominance or superiority over their peers. For girls, they often show subtle signs of bullying associated with exclusion and jealousy.  People who are being bullied often feel fear, low self-confidence, hopelessness, anger, humiliation, and sadness. If you are being bullied the most important thing for you to know is that you are not alone and the bullying you are being subjected to is not your fault. 

Preventing bullying is the next step to achieving back one's confidence and fearlessness. If you see someone being bullied you should definitely try to help or talk to the victim. To the girl or boy being bullied, knowing that someone is on your side makes a big difference. If you can, try to be with the victim as much as possible because bullies often target those who are alone. Having people to hang out with can help the victim feel more accepted and confident. If the problem does not stop after avoiding the bully, it is best to talk to an adult whether it is at home or at school. “For example, things like calmly telling bullies to stop, walking away, ignoring them, or using humor often discourage bullies because no one seems upset or intimidated by their actions” (KidsHealth). If you are being bullied, and the bully does not stop antagonizing you, try to ignore them, and find new friends who are positive and they like you for you! 

One novel that connects to this idea is called, Dear Bully, and it was written by seventy different authors. Each author has their own story in this novel. Some authors have been victims, bystanders, or the actual bullies. In this novel, the victims aren’t focused on getting revenge on the bully, they are writing to celebrate the bully and what the bully made them learn, and how they benefited in the future. The seventy authors that experienced bullying want to spread awareness by sharing their story so we as readers can prevent bullying at its early stages. 

One story in the novel that I relate a lot to was about a high school senior who is reflecting on her life, and what she has learned from her bully. The tormenting all started in first grade, he used to follow her off the bus, and would not leave her alone. He pushed her to the ground and made her swear never to tell her parents or he would hurt her even worse. Fast forward to senior year, and the bullying continued. In the end, her story was very eye-opening because it showed verbal and physical abuse and the suffering that followed. In the novel, the author wrote, “Bullying is a horrible thing. It sticks with you forever. It poisons you. But only if you let it” (Brewer, Heather 73). Her message was that people bully for no good reason. If you are being bullied do not let it get to you. You can give yourself happiness despite what the bullies have tried to instill in you. But instead of getting emotional over it, whatever you do, do not show emotion. That means they have won. Instead, smile and kill them with kindness!

In conclusion, bullying is a never-ending cycle of hurt that someone can experience. You should care about preventing bullying because it affects almost everyone in our community at some time in their life. People who were bullied at some point in their life, suffer from many consequences mentally. Rather than focusing on someone who appears different, try to accept them for who they are knowing they will never change. In all, let's stop the crisis of bullying and continue to be nice in our community by spreading positive vibes, giving compliments, and encouraging your peers!

Works Cited

"Cyberbullying." Lexico Dictionary, www.lexico.com/en/definition/cyberbullying. Accessed 15 Oct. 2019.

"Definition of Bullying." National Centre of Bullying, www.ncab.org.au/bullying-advice/bullying-for-parents/definition-of-bullying/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2019.

"11 Facts about Bullying." Do Something, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-bullying. Accessed 15 Oct. 2019.

"How Can I Help Someone Who's Being Bullied?" Kids Health, kidshealth.org/en/teens/expert-bullying.html. Accessed 15 Oct. 2019.

"How Does Early Bullying Develop?" Preventing Bullying, preventingbullying.promoteprevent.org/3-how-does-early-bullying-develop. Accessed 15 Oct. 2019.

"How Does It Feel to Be Bullied?" HibHub Community, 6 May 2013, hibhubcommunity.com/2013/05/06/how-does-it-feel-to-be-bullied/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2019.

"31 Bullying Awareness Writing Prompts for Students." Journal Buddies, www.journalbuddies.com/journal_prompts__journal_topics/bully-awareness/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2019.

Wikipedia contributors. "Verbal abuse." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 Oct. 2019. Web. 15 Oct. 2019.

Wikipedia contributors. "Relational aggression." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 May. 2019. Web. 15 Oct. 2019.