“Why do think you can hang with us? Leave us alone, you are not cool enough!” was something that I heard everyday in middle school while being bullied by a group of guys. I was picked on because of my size. These guys also thought it would ruin their “stellar” reputation by hanging out with me. Even though I brought this situation to the attention of certain adults, none of them thought anything of it. They thought I was being too sensitive. In our society, people do not understand the true of effects of bullying on those bullied. This is due to the disconnect that is present between adults and children, ultimately suggesting that someone who is bullied is lacking support from those around them due to their lack of understanding.

According to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, “approximately one in four students are bullied during the school year. However, 64% of these students don’t report it to anybody due to the threats they receive from the bullies.” Since less than 40% of students who are bullied report it to an adult, people are not acknowledging the effects of bullying. Students don't feel comfortable sharing their experiences. Since students are not sharing their experiences, the adults who say that they are there to help are actually doing nothing. This proves the lack of knowledge those members of our society share. Without any “helpers,” the people being bullied have no resources to turn to.
        

According to Britannica School, bullying is “intentional harm-doing or harassment that is directed toward vulnerable targets and typically repeated. Bullying encompasses a wide range of malicious aggressive behaviors including physical violence, verbal mockery, threats, ostracism, and rumors spread either orally or by other means of communication.” Throughout our society, thousands of people are bullied every day for different reasons, including things they are unable to change about themselves. According to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, “one in three people of colored descent have reported being bullied while in their childhood. Also, approximately 81.9% of students who identify as LGBTQ were bullied in the last year based on their sexual orientation.” These people are bullied for reasons totally out of their control. Since no one can relate to their story, it is hard it is for them to push through these experiences. In our society, one is not able to truly understand the effects that these people face on a daily basis because of personal differences and a lack of experiences.

No two people in society can be considered the same. Everyone has specific attributes about themselves that make them different. Due to these differences, a lack of understanding about a person who is bullied is very prevalent in our generation. These differences are the reason why people need to have a better understanding of bullying. Even though your story may not be the same as someone who is being bullied, your testimony may help them to try and seek help from others. Even better, it may even cause them to fight back against the bullies. Although adults can argue that they are knowledgeable about bullying, the fact that students don’t come to them during times of crisis shows that they don’t feel comfortable talking with them about their problems. Students also may feel that the help doesn't have any value, due to the lack of knowledge that the counselors have about their situation. In our society, a greater understanding of bullying is necessary in order to try and help those who may be “different.”
        

According to the organization Make Beats Not Beat Downs, “suicide remains the main cause of death of children under fourteen. For these children, students victimized by their peers are 2.4 times more likely to report suicidal ideation and 3.3 times more likely to report a suicide attempt than youth who reported not being bullied.” This is scary fact regarding bullying. The only way for members of society to try and lower this statistic would be to support those being bullied. Most of the time the help that the bullied receive does not apply to them because everybody’s story is different and therefore the advice is not applicable to them at all. The bullied may not admit the help isn't applicable to their situation due to the fear of what will happen to them. By having a better understanding of bullying as a whole, one has the ability to give help to many different individuals with completely different stories. This knowledge of bullying would allow them to create treatments that apply to everyone.
Another effect of bullying is school absenteeism or dropping out of school entirely. According to Make Beats Not Beat Downs, “15% of all school absenteeism is directly related to fears of being bullied at school and 1 in 10 students who drop out of school do so because of the repeated bullying they endure.” Without the necessary support, students feel that the only way to avoid the bullying is to completely remove themselves from the situation. The only way to evade these bullies is to either avoid attending school or to drop out of school entirely. This causes students additional stress because not only are they upset about being bullied but also because of the schoolwork they are missing. It is important for adults to have a better understanding of bullying in order to help children around them who are being bullied.

Additionally, according to a CNN report on bullying, “bullying at ages 8, 10 and 13 continue to affect the mental health at age 18. The U.S. study presented data on bullying and maltreatment between the ages of 9 and 16, and the mental health effects from ages 19 to 25.” Without help, the effects of bullying can last for years. Support needs to come from people who are educated on the topic of bullying. If people are uneducated on bullying, the support may not be applicable and could make it worse. Considering all of the problems that occur as a result of bullying, the need for a better understanding of bullying is imperative. Some people still believe that counselors give students enough support during these situations and that the students don’t take the advice seriously. If this was true, then why would suicide, absenteeism, and mental health problems rates as a direct result to bullying be so high? If counselors actually had a better understanding of bullying and the advice that they gave was actually applicable, these statistics would be different. Therefore, I still believe that the need for a better understanding is imperative in order to help those being bullied.
        

Bullying is a major problem throughout our society due to the lack of knowledge about what bullying is. This is caused by the detachment between the younger and older generations, ultimately showing that those who are bullied have to push through these tough times with minimal help. Whether it be the alarming suicide statistics, the absenteeism, or the mental health problems that come as a direct result to being bullied, bullying has the possibility of affecting someone their entire life.  It is something that has to stop. Through my personal experience of being bullied, I understand how awful the experience of being bullied really is. In order for one to be able to experience all the joy that life has to offer, the threat of bullying needs to be removed from society.