10th language arts
5 February 2013
Homosexual Bullying
“Just go die.” “You don’t belong here.” “Gosh, our so gay.” “Fag.” No one will care when you are gone. Nobody will notice; do us all a favor. Simple comments like these would not seem offensive to you, but they would offend a person that isn’t in the same interest of sexuality as you, in all ways, shapes, and forms. Verses similar to this can essentially cause somebody to end their life, or just cause damage themselves in order to no longer feel pain. It has been said that “93 percent of the teenagers hear derogatory words about sexuality at least once in awhile” (Bullying & Sexual Orientation). Around the world there are many teenagers that have successfully ended their lives just like they planned thinking they do not belong here. News has stated that three teens from different locations all died due to the bullying for being homosexuals or thought to be homosexual. Teen bullying is believed to be a normal part of school life, however, as people begin to have this mentality, they tend to forget that bullying is physically and psychologically harmful to both the bully and the victim. Therefore, bullying based on sexual orientation must be stopped, support and social acceptance from schools is the personnel key to improving and stopping this issue.
Bullying is no laughing matter. Bullying does not just hurt feelings. Being bullied can affect your school work, your relationship with family and friends, and most importantly, your relationship with yourself. Surveys have taken places in certain schools to get an estimate of notify how many kids have been bullied for their sex interests, sources such as “Gay Bullying Statistics”. From the research they have proven that gay and lesbian teens are two to three times as more likely to commit teen suicide than other youths. According to their data, “22 percent of gay respondents had skipped school in the past month because they felt unsafe there” (Mental Health America). Also, “28 percent out of those groups feel forced to drop out of school altogether” (Gay Bullying Statistics). Teens have stopped attending their schools to not have to deal with another day of being bullied by the same people on the same exact thing over and over again, just a different day. The Students begin to see no point in going to school if all they get out of it is hate from kids that do not have any idea how they can be affected. Dropping out of school, bullied teens, find it the easiest solution to their bullying problems. According to the Gay Bullying Statistics, “9 out of 10 LGBT teens have reported being bullied at school within the past year because of their sexual orientation” (Gay Bullying Statistic). A bully’s man purpose is to target the victim, make a fool of them, leave them with embarrassment and decline every single day, and with the technology these days, it almost makes it impossible to escape this negativity. To constantly feel like they are not good enough for anything or anyone is not healthy. Once the bullies get you to that place, you start to bully yourself and your downward spiral seems everlasting. Teens don’t have the courage to come out and feel confident in who they are. Also, the teens have trouble expressing themselves to be who they want to be in school. However, sadly, teens do not obviously feel the support at school and that is the problem. Being a teen and going up to an adult to talk about the issues they are dealing with is not as easy as it looks. Giving these kids some support is something they really need to help them improve their days at school. In fact, knowing that there is someone that is there to understand them, have their backs, and someone they can run to for the good and bad will help the teens to feel better about themselves and feel safer in school. Communicating is the key. This means that being a good listener and a good observer, and letting know that the teens are available to talk about