A Stand against Bully
Bullying: Effects and Prevention

Bullying, an issue that has been a problem for children and young people for a long time. What defines a bully? Oxford Dictionary defines a bully as “a person who uses strength or influence to harm or intimidate those who are weaker” (Oxforddictionaries.com). It is not always the bigger person picking on the smaller person. Bullying can effect anyone at any time. There are different types of bullying; physical, indirect, verbal, and cyber. Bullying is a problem for not only the ones being bullied, but for parents, friends, teachers, and everyone around. It’s a hard issue to deal with and sometimes they don’t know the best way to handle the situation.

On April 22, 2011, Livescience posted an online article called, ‘Bullying: Complex Social Problem That Hits Parents Hard’. This article talks specifically of the parents of the child being bullied and how it affects them. Nancy Anderson Dolan says, “It strips away any facade you might have that you think you are able to protect your children.” When your child is being bullied, it is not only them who are affected by it. Livescience says, “When a kid is bullied, many parents say they feel angry, frustrated and helpless. Their relationship with other adults in the community may crack as parents choose sides. In some cases, bullying strains the whole family, making harder for parents to help end their child’s torment.”

I remember watching “Good Morning America” when a little girl and her mother were on there. The little girl was close to 7 years old, and her mother was so affected by her daughter being bullied, she let her have plastic surgery to fix her ears too “hopefully” stop the bullying. Bullying not only worries the victim but the ones who care for them. It can affect their view of other people, their community, and their work. Marie Newman, the author of, “When Your Child is Being Bullied: Real Solutions for Families”, speaks of her being outraged, frustrated, and worried. Newman wanted to attack back. Newman said, “During the day, I’d be sitting in a meeting with a client, and I’d be thinking, ‘Who is doing what to him now?’” According to Livescience, “While it can be hard to cope with the emotions bullying brings, parents should be encouraged to focus on solutions for their child. How parents react to the bullying can make it worse or make it better.”

The ones being bullied aren’t the only ones who need to be informed about bullying. Most bullies are unaware of the extreme hurt and pain they are causing their victims. Some cases, and some maybe intentionally, have led to suicide, harming themselves and others when bullying was consistent and never stopped. News 4 of Chicago, IL wrote an article online about a 12 year old girl named, McKenzie Philpot. McKenzie was physically and emotionally bullied everyday by her peers and the school never took the proper protocol. The bullies claimed they were just “playing around” with her. If bullies are not informed properly about the hurt and pain they are giving their victims, how can bullying be stopped? In May of 2006, McKenzie hung herself. She felt it was the only way she could escape her bullies, McKenzie’s life could have been saved.

Bullying isn’t often taken seriously enough. Bullies should be punished properly and the victims should be heard properly. For example, my daughter came to me after school one day and told me there was a boy on her bus that continually punched her in the arm. I did not wait for the situation to happen again, I immediately called the school, and then I talked to the bus driver the next morning at pick up. They separated him from my daughter. Proper punishment was not taken, and then two weeks later he broke a young child’s arm. I believe it is important to not let things like this slide by. If a child or young adult does not have the proper boundaries, values, and correct discipline being shown to them, they could become worse as an