Bullying is something we hear about all the time; schools claim to have no tolerance policies against it. We hear about it on the news, web sites, they even hold conferences and meetings about it, but still bullying goes on. Sometimes over looked because it’s not obvious physical violence, all forms of bullying are dangerous. In addition to physical bullying other forms, verbal bullying, and cyber bullying, even something so simple as exclusion, are hurtful and a danger to the receiver.

-Catherine K.

Imagine, for a moment, a pair of friends. A boy and a girl in fact. Their names are Carrie and Ben. Pretend they are laughing together. Now, most people would think these teens are fine. But what if you looked closer? What if you tore through what you saw to discover what was really happening? What if you saw that Carrie was rejected at the lunch table, called a freak, and how she felt like she wasn’t good enough? Can you envision how much she would hate them? Those girls that caused her so much pain? I don’t think you can. But that’s not the worst of it. Can you, reader, imagine what it would take for her to forgive those who had hurt her? To forgive someone is the hardest thing. Now, take a look at Ben, her one and only friend. What if you saw how he was brutally hit for being friends with “that freaky girl”? What if you saw him carrying the burden of sharing her hurt, just like real friends should? Now, can you imagine how good a person he must be to remain friends with her?

Both of these people are being tormented.  The more common word is “bullied”. But a bully, to most people, is a big thug who has tattoos and carries a gun. Wrong. Bullies can be anyone. A girl, a boy, even you, can be a bully. But bully is too common, and too light. (A message to those who do intimidate and hurt others: between 15 to 25 kids a year in Kentucky alone commits suicide because of the torture people like you do. Think about that before you open your mouth, and you might save lives.) A bully, by the definition, courtesy of http://dictionary.reference.com, is a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people. In teen lingo, it’s a person who hurts people, physically emotionally or mentally.

But what kinds of people do that? Is there a gender difference? I think there is. Boys and girls are actually hurt physically, emotionally, or mentally about the same amount. And though most people think of bullies being boys, there are actually a lot of girl tormenters too. Girl bullies are harsh, unfeeling, and most of all, cruel. Sorry girls, it’s the truth. Boy bullies are blunt, brutal, and most of all, they don’t really think about what they’re doing. Sorry, guys, that’s the truth too. But the victims aren’t sole-gendered either. Guys and girls who are intelligent, unique, and self-assured are labeled as freaks. Want to know why they bother and label kids like that? They’re not scared of them; they’re jealous. Remember Carrie? Those girls are probably envious of the fact that she still sits with them, or they just don’t want her there, so they don’t have to think about what they’re doing. And Ben? They’re probably jealous that he can be comfortable with anyone, and he’s self-assured.

-Emily M.

So now that we have a good idea of what bullying is what is being done about it? Many schools have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying, but in my opinion not many actually live up to it. Sure many students choose not to report it when it happens, but I really doubt that’s the case the majority of the time. I’ve done some research, and the most common punishment for bullying is suspension and on occasion, expulsion. I don’t know about you, but if I had to leave school for a week, I wouldn’t have any less of a motivation to bully. In fact, I might even build up anger during my dismissal and come back with a wish to reap revenge. We do not want angry kids returning only to cause more harm. In other words, our current actions are not enough to effectively prevent bullying.

Why does bullying manifest in middle school/high school? It’s simple. In middle school, the hormones begin to rage. The students are going through puberty, and they’re all crazy! Mood swings, stress and other factors contribute to the constant fighting and bickering. Unfortunately there is no prevention of this as it is an unstoppable natural stage of the human life cycle. What we can do is calm down the students.  

How might school be set up to help prevent bullying? The answer: Scare tactics. Let the students know things will be done if they bully, and that they are watching us and will know when we fight. It might not be used, but the fact that the cameras are there should help prevent some.

-Reagan O.