Bullying in School | Teen Ink

Bullying in School

June 1, 2011
By CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius


If you saw bullying, what would you do to stop it? Would you stand by and let it happen, take part in it or try to stop it? Not many students think about this, and that’s part of the problem.


‘Treat others the way you want to be treated.’ That’s the Golden Rule and it should be followed in every aspect of your life. If someone was in a position to stop you from being bullied and did nothing, how would you feel? If you find that unacceptable, you must do everything you can to stop others from hurting people.


Are you even remotely aware of how much pain these victims feel every day? They go to school knowing they’re going to be hurt and they see no way out. This is because people like you and many others stand by and let it happen without contemplating how much pain this is causing people. Ask yourself this: How would you feel if you were in the victim’s position and could see no end to your pain?


When the victims see no way out, they may choose to tragically end their life, leaving more hurt behind for those who were unable to stop it. Canada has the third-highest teen suicide rate of all the industrialized nations, with 15 deaths per 100,000 people. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-24, behind motor vehicle accidents. The death of a young person is always a waste of life, so how many more lives must be wasted before something is done?


If you condone bullying in any way, shape or form, you are taking part in it. Bullying is everyone’s responsibility and the option of doing nothing is unacceptable in civilized society. Some people may consider mocking someone funny, even though it is anything but funny to the victim. Small jabs taken every day can add up to a lot of pain and suffering. While it may seem innocent to the person taking the shots, the cumulative effect of these daily jabs could be devastating. In addition to that, as the pain increases, each jab cuts a little deeper.


Bullying can happen in school, so it is the responsibility of students to protect their classmates and to show everyone the dignity and respect they would like to be treated with. The first line of defense in bullying is in student’s own behavior. But when that fails, it must be brought to the attention of someone in authority, like a teacher. The concept of someone in authority failing to address the problem is simply not acceptable. This is why you must speak to a teacher you trust and know will do something to stop the bullying.


Bullying is happening everywhere, even at your own school. You may not see it, you may not know it is there, but it is happening and it causes unimaginable pain to the victims. The only way to end bullying is to talk about it openly rather than making it a taboo issue. If someone is hurting another person, they will not stop unless someone (either a fellow classmate or someone in authority) stands up for the victim and tells their tormentor to stop. Bullying is everyone’s problem; therefore everyone has to be part of the solution.


The author's comments:
This was originally an article I wrote for my school newsletter because I was sick of how much bullying was going on at my school. The newsletter just came out and so far nothing has changed; I really wish it would.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 196 comments.


on Aug. 11 2011 at 9:29 am
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  I'm glad you had the insight to look at your actions and stop teasing him. :)

LovelySerena said...
on Aug. 11 2011 at 7:43 am
LovelySerena, Dededo, Other
0 articles 8 photos 27 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches on the soul. ~Emily Dickinson

When I was fifth grade, I kept teasing this boy because he was ugly and his shoes were way to big for him. Then in sixth grade, I started thinking why he was like that. Maybe he was poor, or sad, or something. Now, I totally regret teasing him. I love this message!!

on Aug. 4 2011 at 8:09 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  I hope more people do read it.

on Aug. 4 2011 at 8:08 pm
KayleeRae PLATINUM, Arvada, Colorado
34 articles 49 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Either write something worth doing or do something worth writing."

So so true... I hope more will read this so they can read your insight. Bullying is a terrible thing :(

on Aug. 3 2011 at 7:18 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  I hope one day my article does change something.

on Aug. 3 2011 at 3:11 pm
Love.Hate.Passion., Spring Valley, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 356 comments

Favorite Quote:
~Hope. Faith. Love~
~Be proud of who you are.You are all unique in a different way.~
~I WILL NOT fade into oblivion , and become less than
a distant memory.~

Sadly, bullying affects so many , and nothing is done to stop it. This article really hit home , and you did a wonderful job with it. I hope that one day this article will bring more awareness to the issue at hand , and that something is done. It's a great piece , good job :)

on Aug. 3 2011 at 9:43 am
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

It's not so much saddening as sickening.  I'm sorry what you're going through now.  Just remember that life won't always be like this; it gets better.

Mystiecub said...
on Aug. 3 2011 at 9:37 am

I completely agree with everything you said in this article. Particularly because I'm a victim of severe bullying....thats besides the point though.

It's saddening how inconsiderate some people are, isnt it?...*sigh*


on Jul. 28 2011 at 8:39 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Huh?     

on Jul. 28 2011 at 8:38 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  I'm glad you liked it. :)

on Jul. 28 2011 at 6:43 pm
DaylightDarkness SILVER, Littleton, Colorado
9 articles 0 photos 102 comments

Favorite Quote:
Everyone's crazy. You know why? We all want to be normal. Well, we cant define normal, and, the people you can point at and say, well isn't he/she normal are rare. Doesnt that kind of defeat the pupose of normal? -My Friend

Thank You.

on Jul. 28 2011 at 7:35 am
sweetly_broken GOLD, Garner, North Carolina
15 articles 0 photos 157 comments

Favorite Quote:
We never know how big we are until we are asked to rise.

Great job. Most people don't want to stand up against bullies because they don't want to become the target, but taking a stand can be just as simple as befriending the victim and helping to empower them. I especially like how you pulled everything together in the end. It's very good!

on Jul. 25 2011 at 10:51 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  But no, not everyone knows bullying is wrong.  That's why I hope my article opens some peoples' eyes.

on Jul. 25 2011 at 10:45 pm
LadyJaneGrey PLATINUM, Louisville, Kentucky
30 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I know it defies the law of gravity, but I never studied law." - Bugs Bunny

Everyone knows that bullying is wrong, but it takes a lot of courage to actually say it and call people out on it. Kudos to you. Glad you're using your writing skills for good and not evil! 

on Jul. 25 2011 at 1:21 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  I'm glad you liked it. :)  I hope it does make a difference, but I won't get my hopes up too high.

on Jul. 25 2011 at 9:58 am
Alcanno DIAMOND, Mexia, Texas
59 articles 0 photos 670 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is
made up of."

-- Bruce Lee

This is so well-written! Your article means so much and opens itself up to be taken more seriously simply because it has good grammar and spelling, is organized, and has a clear point. The statistics you included surprised me! I'm glad I read this piece. Keep doing what you're doing - this kind of intellegent writing is what makes a difference :)

on Jul. 24 2011 at 10:42 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thanks for commenting!  And I wish I could put those morons in their place.

Kailey4 BRONZE said...
on Jul. 24 2011 at 10:41 pm
Kailey4 BRONZE, Simpsonville, South Carolina
4 articles 3 photos 54 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Né io pitorre" - Michelangelo

This is good! Put those bullies in their place;)!!!!!!!

on Jul. 21 2011 at 9:22 am
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Exactly!  Too bad the world isn't like that though.

on Jul. 21 2011 at 4:48 am
Healing_Angel SILVER, Sydney, Other
8 articles 2 photos 509 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live for today, not for tomorrow

I agree with you! Bullying stinks and you've tackled it well here. If people were listened to and accepted for being themselves, there would be no such thing as bullying.