Voice of the unknown

Bully

​A boy that's 13, hiding in his room, his only brother, whom he has always relied on died in a car crash only 3 years earlier. Before that everything was fine, now he wishes he was normal. The boy's dad left when he was 3 leaving him with a mom who comes home sober, and a stepfather who beats him. After school he runs 13 blocks home, because he is afraid of what the kids say. Every single day in class students would call him names and they would pass him rude notes. Every day at lunch, he hides in the stalls. After class in the halls, the kids trip him and kick him. No, not because he's mean, but because he is different, because he likes different things, because he's the one boy who is reserved to himself and easily walked over. He goes up to a counselor and attempts to address the problem, and she just advises him that "Kids are just being kids." One day, when he couldn't take anymore, he sits down with a heavy-heart writing a letter to his parents, step dad, and the kids from school. He ends the letter with "Pulling someone down, will never help you reach the top," hoping he helps the people understand the effect of bullying and with that he's gone. His mother lost not one, but two sons now. The kid in the stalls at lunch is gone. The boy kids have tripped and kicked in the hall is gone. The boy who hid in his room is gone. Due to all that the people in his life have done to him, he has now left, to be with his brother. Now all the kids at school find another one to target. But turning tables, who's that person that kids always talk about after they walk by? Who's the person that is an outsider to the whole school? Whether it's you, or him, or her. The theory named bully, has affected you all.

A bully is a person who harms or intimidates others that are weaker. Bullying has become a worldwide issue, not only is this issue amongst schools, but workplaces, and the neighborhood streets. Bullying is attempted to be address in many schools; even as it is being addressed, bullying is still a big issue. Not only is bullying a deathly issue in most cases, but bullying is often overlooked. Bullying needs to be addressed in a correct manner but not be overused.
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Students and youths are becoming bullies because of insecurities and being bullied for things they are unable to control. Kids who are shown as different from their peers are at more of a risk of being bullied. ("Stopbullying.Gov.") The differences between individuals are uncontrollable. The fact that they are more at risk of being bullied, contradicts the teachings parents have taught kids; to be different from the rest. Peer pressure has a big impact on this, the 'norms' that are being followed are all because of peer pressure. But as understood, bullying is not just because of peer pressure. "Bullies often bully other people because they are bullied or have problems at home" (Unknown) Being bullied in the past and having a rough time at home affects a kid a lot. When those students get to school, they want to feel power over someone or something, therefore leading to bullying. The issues at home can overwhelm a student into believing they are lacking power, then leave them yearning for power somewhere else. This becomes a big problem if the proper care is not given to the situation. But not only do the reasons of bullying limit to past and family lives. Many bullying are generated from insecurities that people contain, such as height, weight, and strength, etc.( Unknown, Unknown, Unknown) As pointed out there are different ways that many people deal with insecurities, One way is ridiculing other people. Such as when you have stage fright and someone tells you to think of the audience in their under clothes. Bullying helps a person recover from a insecurity for a while so they can make it through the moment. Throughout the many reasons of bullying, over half of them come from something that is unable to be controlled; the only way you can handle it is if you react to it appropriately, two wrongs don't make a right.

​The similarities between actually committing suicide and taking account for suicide are significant. People who have been bullied are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than people who haven't been bullied, according to a study at Yale University. (Bullying and Suicide) With the rates of suicide consideration higher for people who have been bullied, it would mean that the Suicide rates are achieving much higher numbers than individuals who haven't been bullied. Therefore making it harder for victims to be able to succeed in life than people who haven't. Half of the people bullied aren't even able to make a decision to help stop the bullying they go through, and with that in mind, Bullying has taken many lives away from these victims. Not only do the rates show it, but what many people have been saying about bullying supports this. "...If you look at what is happening in bigger school districts, students are killing themselves because of the harsh bullying" (Unknown). As many news reports have been going off, students have committed suicide in the U.S because of online bullying, or verbal/physical bullying. But even with all of the suicides committed, many bullies still keep to their game. Most bullying has been going on among students in schools as said, but yet, no one learns. With all of the news spreading about these suicide cases, not enough attention has risen enough to give correct consequences before another suicide attempt even happens among youths.

​A bully needs to understand the consequences of bullying so they are able to change how they treat people. "Bullying is a complicated issue that only becomes more involved with cyberbullying. It takes a combined effort of teachers, parents, students, bystanders, and victims to put a stop to bullying" (Unknown). Without the help from each role that makes up bullying, this will not be able to stop. Bullying has to be addressed by teachers and parents; students need to understand what bullying causes. But even if someone steps up to the plate and take into hand the situation. The bully has to take a lead in the situation, however they still tend to ignore the consequences on both sides. "A bully themselves that like to play a 'victim' role" (Unknown). As said by many people, when bullies get in trouble for their actions, they tend to cower down and act as a person who is harmed in the matter, hiding from their actions to people they can manipulate to cover from consequences. When a teacher gets involved though, sometime they tend to touch bases with the problem then overpass the problem. "...They let things slide by... 'Kids are Cruel' is all they have to say, but kids don't have to be if teachers just did something about it" (Unknown)."they let things slide by," sometimes teachers often give a warning and then give the cold shoulder, and all they would say to the bully in attempt to stop the situation is "Kids are Cruel" hoping that the victim would hopefully ignore it also. But by all means, the bully needs to contribute to fixing the situation and the bully will never change the situation if the teacher cold shoulders the problem. Without the help from all parts, nothing will ever be fixed if all roles aren't working together and acknowledging each other that they are trying to fix things.

​Bullying situations require the attention that they need. If all roles playing a part in bullying do not give the situation the attention it has to have devoted, then no problem will be solved and bullying will continue to take lives from victims. Bullying is a big issue over something so small. Even though we can't completely ceased, it can be handled correctly ending a single situation before it happens. As said, this problem will continue to affect every single one of us everyday, if we do not try and succeed in making a positive turnaround in bullying itself.

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People who have been cited shall remained unnamed. Please do not plagiarize, Thank you this was written for a school assignment
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Citations
​"Bullying and Suicide." - Bullying Statistics. Bullying Statistics. nd. Web. 15 May 2015.

​"Stopbullying.gov." ​Facts About Bullying. ​Np. Nd. Web. 18 May 2015.