Bullying, Not Anymore!

by Chloe, 6th grade student

When I started a new school I was excited and nervous at the same time! I didn’t expect things like lockers or homerooms. But most of all, I didn’t expect to meet my first bully. When I think of bullies I thought it was physical contact like punching, or getting hurt. But it’s not; sometimes its just words. Some people say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”. But that is not true, because words can hurt. Not only have I been a witness to bullying, I‘ve been a victim as well .To the point of tears.

There have been times when I have experienced others getting bullied, and I didn’t know what to do. Should I say something? Sometimes I’ve done nothing. But sometimes I’m compelled to get involved and the next thing I know, it’s my situation and others around me would laugh and cheer for the bully. Some would go get a teacher or stand up to the bully and say “ Hey not cool” or “ Stop it what are you trying to accomplish?”

I believe that most bullies have been bullied, have issues at home, or aren’t very social people at all. So they want to take their aggression out on someone that they think is weak or a target. So they want put on a show in front of everyone to show how tough they are and make everyone fear them; they usually have a small following. This cycle usually goes on and on until someone stops them or somebody gets hurt. Sometimes, the victim today can become the bully tomorrow.

Earlier this year I was picked on because of my hair color. I decided to put streaks in my hair. I thought I looked cool. However, this person didn’t; I was called a devil worshiper because the color of my streaks were fire red. Peer-pressure is a very tricky and sticky issue, especially in middle school. As I was being picked on, I felt like the odd girl, an outcast. As this continued I feared this person more and more. I felt like nobody liked me and I felt a great deal of anxiety at school. A kid in my class told me that there would be a posting of something awful about me on Facebook, that would probably make me feel worthless and that would keep me up worrying all night.

I knew I had to tell someone about what happened and then I remembered the “Stop Bullying, Speak up” commercial. The commercial said you should help stop bullying or you should tell an adult. So I went to the school principal and she addressed the situation immediately.

Another bad thing about bullying is that it is a nation wide problem. I worry about this because kids all over the United States and even the whole world have to go through this and I wonder why: “Is it because of what they look like, sexual orientation, speak a different language? Or is it something deeper? Also bullies want attention,  I say DON’T GIVE IT TO THEM!

If you find yourself in a bullying situation here are some useful tips, try to stay calm and try to walk away. But NEVER take your eyes off this person! Don’t be afraid to tell someone like a teacher or an adult and, keep your distance. Don’t try to get revenge;  it could escalate. Try not to pat attention to the hurtful words. Find a happy place. Try and stay the same, don’t change yourself to please them. My great-grandmother once told me these wise words  she said “Tough times don’t last; tough people do.”

In TI resilience is a characteristic all students should have ,victim or not we all need to stop this hurtful hatred against each other. Also all students need to show a lot of empathy toward each other. So lets all stop bullying for the safety of our school, families, and most important for the safety of us, because we all need to be safe.

Dealing with a bully made me resilient by adapting to other people being bullied and others getting bullied. So will you speak up when you see bullying again? Will you encourage friends or others not to bully? Knowing that this might happen in the future, I now know how to act when the problem presents itself. Act like you know. Now I am more aware of potential jerks. Now I know how to face bullies, not run away from them, bullies make things harder ,but not impossible. If you just believe in yourself and have confidence, you will be okay. So stay strong, stay true, and trust yourself always!