America’s Bullying Problem

Recently, schoolyard bullying has been making national headlines with the shocking increase in young adult suicides as a result of bullying. These taunts, humiliation, and even physical aggression have long been an unfortunate, consistent occurrence for many kids. Bullying can happen for a number of reasons ranging from teasing about family life, to being gay, to physical disabilities. No matter the reason or intensity, it is one school activity that should have been stopped a long time ago.

 When I was a young girl, I was diagnosed with a muscular affliction that prevented me from doing many of the typical childhood activities. I would spend many days sitting inside my family’s apartment watching other kids do the things I wished I could do. People frequently called me names and bullied me around back then. One particular instance has always stuck with me: walking home from school one day, I was followed by a group of kids who were taunting and throwing things at me. When I finally got inside my apartment building, I turned to them and yelled, “Someday I’m going to be so famous, you will never be able to touch me!”

 While it is obvious that bullying may never be completely stopped in schools across America, we can all work to reduce the amount that happens. Celebrities such as Dr. Phil and teen pop singer Justin Beiber have all been reaching out to young people recently to stop the high level of bullying. The best thing parents can do is talk to their children about being bullied and encourage them to stand up to them. If I had never done that as a child, I may have never had the motivation to follow my dreams and have the success that I achieved.