Bullying is becoming an increasing problem throughout the nation. It encompasses not just physical harm, but mental and emotional harm as well. According to www.makebeatsnotbeatdowns.org, one in seven students from kindergarten to twelfth grade, have been victims of bullying. There also have been recent cases of students committing suicide due to the overwhelming amount of bullying. 
There are many different kinds of bullying that include verbal abuse, physical abuse, racial abuse, and defamation. Many people down play the effects of bullying but they are very prominent. To stop bullying, a stance must be made which no longer tolerates bullying. School systems, parents, and witnesses of these acts should step up and speak out. This problem has become out of control due to the fact that people try to ignore what is happening. No longer should someone be subjected to ridicule and harassment in places they should feel “safe”. The victims of bullying are so much more than the abuse they receive; they are people just the same.
Prevention and education are both key to trying to solve the problem. More programs need to be in place to educate people on the signs of bullying and how to stop it. Ignorance of how to stop bullying should not be an excuse for ignoring it. Policies in place such as the zero tolerance policy should be more strictly enforced and punishment should be stiffer.
Regardless of policies or programs, people need to use their morality and step up to recognize that this is a problem and it is up to them to prevent it. Bullying should not be deemed acceptable and people need to realize the seriousness of the problem. People are losing their lives, their confidence, and their livelihoods over something preventable.
Zachary Harrison • Apr 2, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Great. This is what the students need to get the word out, but the article is a little short. I would have liked to see more information and maybe even a spacific case that could be used as an example.
Busola Olanrewaju • Mar 30, 2012 at 8:38 am
Recently a movie has hit the waves and it’s called Bully. I was watching the news and they showed footage of it which was all reality and i almost cried. Kids these days are so mean and it’s appalling to see how they can treat one another. I believe the school administrators should also play a bigger role once they witness bullying. In the documentary the principal turned a blind eye to the issue which is unacceptable.
Becca Soon • Mar 29, 2012 at 8:14 pm
I agree with the fact that people should not only take advantage of the programs dealing with bullying, but they also need to use their morality. Bullying is a problem and when someone sees it, they should do what is right and report it. The bullying will prevail if it is just simply ignored. If someone reports a bully, that someone might even save someones life. There ave been stories and news articles talking about suicides amongst teens that have been subject to bullying. If a person stops a bully they might stop a person from hurting themselves. You never know how sensitive some one is. Bullying is a big problem, it should not be seen as a minor one.
Stephen Brockwell • Mar 29, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Bullying is a big problem in school systems. It is different when it is just jokes between friends or acquaintances, but there is no reason to say things that could be potentially hurtful. Of course, no one likes a person who squeals to a teacher or faculty member, so the bullied students usually keep quiet. The best solution to this overwhelming problem is for teachers to become more proactive when dealing with bullies rather than waiting for incidents to happen.
Alex Crowder • Mar 27, 2012 at 10:32 am
Bullies are only bullies when they have people to bully. If everyone in the world just stood up and screamed “I really don’t care” to the world, bullying would decrease. While I could never, ever take a bully’s side or say it should never be stopped, it takes two to make something happen. If people who are bullied don’t learn to stand up for themselves or ignore the bullies, how could they ever think they were prepared for life outside of high school, where the ‘bullying’ is much worse?
Kudos to the author for taking such a stance about bullying, though it’s less of a school problem and more of a general one.
Kayla Bishop • Feb 22, 2012 at 4:53 pm
I like that the author took such a strong stand against bullying. I to think that bullying is wrong and that there needs to be more done about it. I also agree that the affects of bullying can last a persons whole life and affect them in every aspect of their life. I think that schools need to take a stronger stand against bullying and that teachers need to be more informed on the signs of bullying. Also schools need to have better counseling for students who are getting bullied. I liked and thought that this was a very well written article.
Rachel Pugh • Jan 5, 2012 at 8:29 pm
I absolutely agree that the effects of bullying prevail all way through adulthood—especially in severe cases. Most instances of bullying do occur in teen years, when kids are developing into adults at different stages and are unsure of themselves. Bullying in disguise occurs everywhere, everyday, and often ADULTS are the culprits. Extremely impressionable kids are exposed to violence and caustic remarks made by people they admire on reality shows, and they find fun in following the example. I think it’s great that bullying is finally being addressed head-on in the news and more importantly in schools—hopefully the message is received and is taken seriously.
Faven Butler • Jan 1, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Bravery,confidence, and moraltiy are three things this article may bring out of some people. It takes courage to stand up to a bully for somone else, and sometimes people are afraid to do so because they do not want problems of their own. But being a witness of bullying is almost as bad as doing the bullying yourself. The least you can do is tell a responsible adult, such as a teacher, parent, or guidance counselor. You should do anything in your power to help a somone who is being bullied. Although the word “bullying” is downplayed and laughed at in high school today, it should be taken more seriously, considering the fact many students commit suicide because of these people who cause unnecessary harm to others.
John Shumar • Jan 1, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Bullying has become one of those topics that people do not like to talk about, like abortion and same sex marriage. I think the reason for that is we want to believe humans have natural good intentions, and do not even want to dwell on the fact that the lonely figure in the commons not only has a small ring of friends, but is put down and rediculed. This would mean that we have to act, and no one wants to put their neck on the chopping block unless they are one hundred percent certain results will be produced.
On this topic, there are many things that must be put into perspective and categories. When I first moved to Prince George, I entered public schooling for the first time as a fifth grader. I was not only socially awkward, but in that strange stage where you are trying to fix two or more primary senses at once-all on your face-and it does not go well together. I suffered some verbal abuse, and I can recall feeling not only confused but hatred towards the abuser. Yet, oddly I can honetly look back and say that not only did it make me stronger, it helped me find me.
Do not get me wrong, BULLING IS WRONG. Kudos to our school administration who are trying to stamp out the practice. However, in our attempt to destroy it, we often enter extremes that only create more chaos and rebellion. This is not the administrations fault, but our cultures. We live in a culture of extremes where we think that not only should everything go as expected, but that one must be loved by everyone. This though is psychology taught my Mr. Dailey himself, and is fueled by our television shows and well intentioned idealists who are actually hurting our culture.The quicker the bullied and the abuser realize that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and that we are all unique, bullying will vanish. Maybe we should dig to the root of this problem and create a schooling system that harps on people’s strengths, giving them classes that will prepare them to utilize that strength to help America, rather than make a melting pot of hormoes and bored individuals. Spreading bullying awareness is sadly a joke; everyone knows what bullying is and its signs. Preaching to an unreceptive choir is not going to solve the problem.
Also, the only way to completely attack the problem is to start at the home. It is a parent’s job to not only provide basic needs for his or her child, but must also teach her child self confidence with humility, assertiveness with control, and make him or her realize that the world is not always going to be your friend. Notice I did not put self-esteem on the list. This will produce self-esteem, not giving a child a false sense of what he is good for. Because that it what produces bullies; arrogant people who were raised to believe that they are good at everything in this world, but when they reach the public educational system, slowly realize that they have fallen short of their “god-like” potential. A bully is a victim of society.
I hold no sympathy for a bullier, but my stomach wrenches when I see the kid who walks the halls stooped and at the double-time speed. We shouldn’t just help them, we should help them help themselves. Bullying does not stop when we leave highschool. Bullying occurs amoung adults! So instead of attacking the branches, let’s dig up the roots. Let’s focus on creating strong willed American citizens, which will in turn end bullying-along with other problems-rather than going through the motions.
Bradley Cooper • Jan 1, 2012 at 11:06 am
Bullying has a terrible emotional effect on an individual. Unfortunately, punishing the bully is often tough because the person being bullied may be embarrassed to speak out and afraid of the consequences if the bully finds out.
Matt Schneck • Dec 30, 2011 at 10:02 am
It’s good to see that the paper is taking a stand on an issue that is significant to students. Bullying is an issue thats becoming even more prominent in public schools and somebody needs to take a stand to stop it. I think that if groups such as the newspaper and student government work together we can eliminate problems like this from our school which is supposed to be a safe haven for all students.