The day started off as any other day, but once she stepped into the school, everything seemed off. People were staring, whispering and pointing while she passed them in the halls. She felt uncomfortable, so she quickly rushed to her locker to put her things away. Just like her daily routine, she waited patiently for her friends to join her. When she walked into class, she saw a group of people with their phones out laughing at what they were reading. They all looked up and quickly whispered to one another. During lunch, her friends entered, and they all just looked at her and laughed. Heat formed to her cheeks, and she quickly got up and left the lunchroom. The day seemed to be filled with laughter and staring. It was not until late at night when she finally went onto the computer and saw everything. Everyone was talking about her, making fun of her and the things she does, the way she looks, and the way she acts. She felt so humiliated. She cried herself to sleep and dreaded waking up the next morning to go to school.
Recently, bullying has become a big issue for teens. Nowadays, kids post videos on Facebook of people fighting each other or comments about rude things people are saying. Throughout the years, the tried to prevent bullying.
“I think cyberbullying is a big issue because a lot of people feel like since they are behind a screen they have more power, but in reality, you’re just making yourself look bad because you’re hiding behind a screen,” said senior Raman Bains.
Studies have shown that people who have been bullied when they were younger are most likely to bully other kids to make themselves feel better. Many have been bullied to the point where they go into depression and have a decrease in academic achievement.
“The definition of bullying includes intent to harm, an imbalance of power, and repeated actions. Often we see students being unkind to each other back and forth, and it’s hard to piece together who is the aggressor and who is the aggressive. I know that reports of physical bullying and fights have decreased since I started working at GNHS in 2008; however, I also know that most incidents of bullying are never reported to or even observed by staff members. I believe that with constant access to cell phones throughout the school day, cyberbullying has greatly increased in recent years and impacts students throughout the school day,” said social worker Megan Sayre.
Not too long ago, a website was created called Ask.fm. This website is mainly about people posting questions on one’s page to answer. People are allowed to post on a wall anonymously. According to notbullying.com, a 14 year old girl named Hannah Smith created an Ask.fm. She was bullied on the website to the point where she was found hung in her room.
“I think that people need to realize that everyone is equal, no one is above or below, and if they do have a disability, don’t make fun of them. They are just trying to have fun just like any other kid,” Bains said.
Many schools have teachers that are there so students know that there is hope instead of always being put down by others.
“There is a difference between tattling and reporting. Tattling is to get a person in trouble. Reporting is keeping someone safe. If you recognize you are being a bully, you are not alone. It does not make you a bad person, but it does mean you need to re-evaluate your actions. Most of us, deep down, don’t want to hurt others, but our emotions get in the way,” Sayre said.
Different schools have different programs for kids who do get bullied. There are two clubs called Erika’s Lighthouse and VOICES. These are organizations for people who have been bullied, have been through personal issues or who want to help kids get through the difficult time they’re going through. Ultimately, these clubs hope for the termination of bullying and the effects it has on youths’ lives.