Ever since the age of Christ, bullies have been a cruel and apparent part of our society; from Herod the Great to Adolf Hitler, bullies continue to make other peoples’ lives a living hell. Now, we see bullies in other countries, in our government, in our neighborhoods, and in our schools. They may feed on the misery of others, or may only think they are cracking a joke. Nevertheless, when looking for a bully, there is one place that people always seem to skip over. Unlike a school or neighborhood, that place, is in themselves.
Some people may not even be able to hurt a fly, but I am sure everyone has called a kid fat or ugly. Maybe stupid or retarded. I know that I have used much harsher words on people. Am I proud of it? No, however, I am willing to step up and make a change. Everybody is a bully in some way, at some point in time, and if we want bullying to stop, we have to be the ones to step up and make a change for the better of our youth.
According to “Stomp out Bullying,” around 160,000 students will stay home on any day just because they are scared of bullies. If we can stop bullying, these kids will not have to be scared of anything, and they can get the education they deserve without fear of harassment. In addition, taking a stand against bullying will protect everybody from violence. The National Association of School Psychologists says that between 1994 and 1999, there were 253 violent deaths in school because of bullying. As bullying has escalated greatly through the years, I am sure that these numbers have increased dramatically.
To conclude, we are all bullies at some point. If we want our schools, towns, and world to be a happier and safer place for kids, we all have to be the ones to realize that bullying is wrong, from name calling to physical harassment. Bullying has always been a big part of our society, but we can end it together by thinking before we speak and act, and treating people the way we want to be treated.