Commentary: End bullying. People are dying By KAITLIN LOUNSBERRY The State Journal-Register Posted Oct 22, 2012 @ 10:30 PM
If you look up “bully” in the dictionary, it’s defined as “a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.” Nowhere does it mention bullying can include verbal or virtual intimidation. Society hands people (I would say children, but bullying spans beyond a particular age group) opportunity after opportunity to harass other people online, often after a day full of in-person harassment. It’s alarming how quick people are to join in on a joke or make fun of someone. People are so eager to be considered “cool” that they sacrifice the feelings of other individuals. Who cares if someone acts a little weird? Who cares if they talk weird, or aren’t good at sports, or are uncomfortable in social situations? Who cares how they wear their hair? Who cares if they like school or if they wear high risers with their socks sticking out? Maybe people are naïve enough to believe words don’t hurt. But as we observe National Bullying Prevention Month, it’s time to learn that words have the potential to do more mental and physical harm than “physical” bullying. You read that right. Mental and physical harm. Words not only stick with a person, replaying at the worst possible times, but they also lead people to drastic actions. Bullying victims struggle with self-harm and eating disorders. In severe cases of bullying, it can lead to suicide. That was the case for Canadian teen Amanda Todd. Amanda, 15, committed suicide after months of constant harassment during school and on Facebook, according to the Associated Press. Amanda died just a few weeks after she posted a YouTube video describing ongoing harassment and bullying that led her to transfer schools multiple times. At one school, students encouraged her to kill herself. In fact, an earlier attempt to take her own life prompted messages on her Facebook page to say things like, “She deserved it.” No one should be told they deserve to die. No one should be treated with
such disrespect that they are driven to suicide. People aren’t paper dolls you can adjust because you don’t like what you see. You can’t tell someone they should die because you aren’t a fan. Bullying isn’t becoming an epidemic. It already is one. People are committing suicide because of other individual’s actions. Who are we to ignore the problem? If our generation really has the potential to make a change in this world, then we all need to put an end to bullying. You can’t pick and choose when to be against bullying and when to make fun of someone. There isn’t any in-between here. Either you try to stop bullying or you don’t. The choice is up to you. It shouldn’t be hard to make the right one. Kaitlin Lounsberry is a freshman at Columbia College Chicago. She attended Williamsville High School.