[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Bullying is something that we get speeches about and sign banners about, but most people would say that they are never bullied – and they certainly never bully anyone else. But then why do statistics show that in 2010, 2.7 million students were bullied, and 2.1 million take the role of the bully? What has become our definition of bullying? At what point does chiding become hurtful? At what point does mocking become cruel? At what point does name-calling become bullying?

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/59956490 “][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]To me, bullying has become a word that adults like to use to downplay the severity of cruelty. Bullying sounds bad, but not bad enough. Bullying is a blanket that many things go under – most of which can be defended just by saying it was a joke. But is it?

We have all heard the saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.’ That’s wrong. We get bruises and casts from pebbles and falling out of trees, but bruises fade, and casts eventually get taken off. Words stick with us. We never forget them. In the sixth grade, my peers called me “toothpick” because of my thin, tall stature. That was five years ago, but I remember it like it was this morning.

Sure, I laughed it off because at least I had a nickname and at least people were talking to me. That being said, I consider the people who called me a “toothpick” bullies. Everyone has struggles, but that does not constitute the right to let it out on others. Not one person should leave school thinking they aren’t good enough because someone else was having a bad day.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1”][vc_column_text]

I think [bullying is] a cowardly act because they can’t face themselves. They have their own problems and don’t know how to handle them so they punish other people for their problems.” –Daniel Mannering, Junior<

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Some may say that bullying is a part of going through school. But does that make it OK?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]