One in seven students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade is either a bully or has been a victim of bullying. It seems today that bullying has become a national issue and should be treated with as much care and apprehension as a new born baby.
As a junior in high school I have been able to witness all kinds of harassment and bullying. In some cases I have seen kids been beaten up on video or in the halls. Teens frequently abuse each other with harsh and offensive language.
These days people have no regard for the personal destruction bullying does--the self-confidence killing machine that somehow affects everyone.
In my opinion bullying is a much deeper issue and harder to prevent than one might think. Bullying starts at a young age, starting from problems at home, lack of attention, lack of space, or being bullied themselves.
The ones who were harassed or put down are more likely to bully others, and those bullied are likely to continue the circle of ongoing harassment. So how can bullying be prevented? The sad truth is that bullying is impossible to stop. To end this epidemic, we would have to cut the snake off at its head, but that’s not as easy as it sounds. The source of harassment and bullying comes from the competitive nature of all humans.
The want and need to be better and feel “cooler” is so strong in kids these days it has become an overwhelming issue that continues to spiral downward leaving the weaker kids in its wake.
All teens want, whether they say it or not, are to be appreciated, liked, and well know to other people. And that’s fine and dandy considering we are on hormone overload and emotional roller coasters.
Kids see bullying as a means to an end. They aren’t bad people; they just use harassment to make themselves feel better and “cooler”. The ongoing chase to be the coolest or most popular will always go hand in hand with American culture and there is no way of reversing what has become a bullying and harassing society.