It seems as if ever since there were schools, there were bullies to make other kids’ lives miserable.
Technology has taken the bullying to a new level of abuse.
Where in the past a tortured student could at least get away from the attackers at home, now the internet has made it possible for the cowards, who do nothing more than destroy good kids, to continue the abuse online.
You have to feel sorry for the students who suffer through this on a daily basis.
Many people have stories of getting picked on in school. I find it necessary to say, since I am talking about this topic, that I was slugged around more than once while trying to survive high school. And I did look at it as just surviving a place that resembled a boxing ring, as much as it did a place of learning.
There have been many stories recently in the news about how far this bullying can go, and what tragedies can stem from it.
Simply put, kids are taking their lives rather than having to face the abuse. They need help now.
So many things are wrong about what is happening. A school should be a place where children go and feel safe. It should be a place of learning, where children can develop into decent human beings.
But after hearing some of the stories recently, I question if this is in fact true.
This is not about everyone getting a long. This is not a utopia or a perfect world where we all stand arm in arm singing songs of peace.
But it should be a place where, if you don’t like someone, then you just leave them alone.
Bullying at any age is nothing more than a sign of disrespect. Parents have to be involved with the solution. Children can learn both good and bad from their parents. If they witness the bully in their parents, then they too will believe it is the right way to act.
Respect has to be taught to these children. The children who are responsible for the bullying should be held accountable for their actions. That is a lesson that is important in life.
Cyber attacks are difficult to prove because it is a world where you can be anonymous and free to say what you want, knowing that you can probably get away with your hidden comments.
These attacks may just be words, but when the world can see what is being said, and kids are being told they should be doing horrible things to themselves, then the emotional impacts of what is happening can be worse than the physical side of bullying.
In my case, the mental stress of worrying about getting beaten up, was always much worse that the actual physical act itself.
Anticipation of having to face the people who are making your life a living hell never ends, even when you are at home. Figuring out what needs to be done to make this situation better is not going to be easy, but the time has come to start the conversation.
Too many children suffer from this kind of abuse in school in today’s world, and it is about time that something real was done to help them.
