The idea of bullying is worldwide epidemic, with the technology we have now teens and children are much more susceptible to being bullied. Teens are much more likely to get criticized online and at school. Parents and teachers need to learn the warning signs of bullying.
With the buzz of new technology and online social media teens all over are being continuously bullied. As a high school senior myself, I have experienced and witnessed the affects on teens that are bullied. Since I was in elementary school I have been bullied due to my birth defect and I can recall all the days that I came home crying due to the fact that I had no friends and that everyone made fun of me. Many teens that experience bullying for such a long period of time are not able to cope with it and the emotional toll it has on them is great. Not only can the emotional toll be great, but their stress levels and way they act can change. When a teenager experiences bullying they have two options: fight or flight. Meaning they can either fight and risk getting a detention or suspension or they can just take it all in till they go home, and they usually choose the one that will result without disciplinary action. I know many that take it all in, including myself, it is not healthy and it changes you, parents do not understand teens; if we tell the teachers or staff we risk our social reputation and become labeled as a “snitch” or “tattle-tale”, thus making us outcasts in school. We learn to deal with it and some deal with it better by detaching themselves from it, while others become “emos” or “goths” to get the sense that they belong. With online advantages teens are now able to be cyber bullied and that is truthfully worse, bullies are now much more creative since we have all the social medias now, such as Facebook, Twitter, and etc. So, teens are now bullied at their own homes while online and offline. With this it does not stop, what people post does not ever truly ever go away, and social alienation will increase.
People do not understand the affects of bullying how worthless it can make people feel. Bullying can push kids and teens to harm themselves, I know I have. People do it for different reasons: some to deal with pain, some do it to get attention, and some do it to feel something. My reason was to deal with pain, I hated my life, I still do. I am suffering constantly whether it is poverty, health, and abuse I am always suffering. I hated going to school, I would always get made fun of because the way I acted, the way I dressed, my birth defect, etc. I would sit by myself in the lunch room and cry because I did not have friends. The loneliness gets to you, and it effects people greatly. In school when would tell teachers it would stop and when I came home I would see lies and rumors plastered on Facebook about me, it hurt and it always got worse! I had death threats in my locker, I would get beat up, and lie to my family and staff about my injuries. I though about suicide in my sophomore year I thought that I should die by overdosing on pain pills and making it look like I drowned in the bathtub. I did not do it because of my mom, she was bullied when she was pregnant with me, she dropped out of high school, never got her GED, or ever get to experience senior year. I am doing what she never got to do. I know many teenagers and kids that committed suicide because they were severely bullied online and at school, I am one of the few that make it, if you see someone being bullied speak up, you can make a difference, and I know it is not always a priority to help someone you do not know, but realize you can save their life.
Parents, if you want to know the affects of bullying identify it before it is too late. The symptoms are listed below.
- Antisocial behavior
- Shying away from family
- Lying about bruises and cuts
- Always looking down
- Always tired
- Looking depression
- Prefers to be alone
- Does not take interest in school or sports
Please stop bullying no one needs to suffer and harm themselves because of bullying. I am here to represent all those teens and kids that are bullied and who have committed suicide.
