“Stay away from the lockers.” “Don’t go outside for recess.” “Don’t partner up with

them.” “Don’t stand up for yourself.”

This is the thought process of someone bullied…well… It's a rough outline. In some

cases, this outline can also be inaccurate. But according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary,

bullying is defined as the, “abuse or mistreatment by someone vulnerable by someone stronger

or more powerful”, and it must stop.

Bullying has several negative effects. “Bullying can cause feelings of rejection,

exclusion, isolation, low self-esteem, and some individuals can develop depression and anxiety

as a result. In some cases it can even develop into Acute Stress Disorder or Post Traumatic Stress

Disorder.”(med.uth.edu) Studies have shown that being a victim of bullying can have long term

effects such as substance abuse, poor social functioning, and sexual violence. Even seeing

someone get bullied can have detrimental effects on an individual’s mental health.

Being bullied can also affect your academic performance. Kids who are bullied are more

likely to stay home from school and miss assignments. They will likely be unable to focus

because they are too worried about being bullied. They may end up getting in trouble at school

for practicing the same behavior that they were taught by the bullies on other kids.

Cyberbullying is also very dangerous. Cyberbullying is the act of bullying someone over

the internet. Cyberbullying has the same effects as regular bullying.

It is very important that we look for healthy relationships as well. A healthy relationship

requires communication, trust, support, privacy, fairness, and honesty, among others. It is

important not to put all your attention on a single person. If you are afraid of someone, the

relationship is unhealthy and you should cut them off.

The memories of being bullied will linger for the rest of the victim’s life. Quoting Maya

Angelou, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will

never forget how you made them feel.” I think everyone should keep her quote in mind when

they’re interacting with others.

Thank you for reading.