Did you know that 71 percent of students have reported incidents involving bullying at their school? There are many statistics on bullying and it is believed that it can all start in elementary school. As kids get older and when they begin middle school and high school, problems become worse. Students and even teachers/adults at West High are victims of the terrible act of bullying.
Nicole Nixon, a student of West High says, “It’s not right to bully other people.” Some people do not do anything about the situation if they witness it; those people are called bystanders. Bystanders may walk by, watch or pretend they do not notice, they may even record a fight happening. If you see someone being bullied, you should always try to help.
That does not mean you have to step in, going to an adult is a good choice. An adult will handle the problem. How do you think the victim feels after experiencing being bullied? Ethan Scates, junior at West High, says “Probably embarrassed, insulted, victimized.” The school board should take bullying as a serious problem and take more steps into preventing it.
Research says that 1 in every 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4 percent of the time. A suggestion made by a student was we hand out bracelets with a phone number to a hotline in case they need someone to speak to. The bullying bracelets suggestion also relates to the suicide bracelets that were handed out at West. If it becomes very serious, bullying can lead to suicide, which we should also try to prevent.
Emotional support could be a good way to help a person that has been bullied. Tommy Luttrell, a student currently attending West High, said “ I would ask a lot of students if they know anyone who is getting bullied and maybe set them up with the counselor. “ A counselor is someone who can listen to your problems and guide you to a better path. There are many options and people who will and can support you if you are going through troubled times. A support group should be created in order to help those who need it. Ideas could be thrown around about how to stop bullying, students could talk to one another about their problems, and teachers could put forth consequences if they witness a bully in action.
Imagine what the world would be like without bullies if we all came together and stopped them all. Christian Pannell, junior at West High, believes, “School would be a little bit more peaceful, well the world really actually.” Kids bully others to make themselves feel better, for self-confidence. They might not be receiving enough attention at home. If we all showed each other a bit more kindness, it could brighten someone else’s day. Not only could we help the victim, we can also help out the bully. He or she may need to sit down and talk with someone as well as a victim might need to. Their parents or trusted adult could help and figure out why they are acting out.
In elementary school, Kelso’s choices were used to help kids handle problems. In high school, there should be more support because you are on your way to bigger things and bullying should not be something to stop you from pursuing living your own life.