Back in elementary school we were always told to follow the golden rule; treat others the way you would like to be treated. So why has bullying become such a big issue in our society? Studies have shown that about thirty percent of children and young adults have been involved in an act of bullying.(1) Bullying can be found in many different forms; physical, verbal, emotional, and cyber. Cyberbullying rates have skyrocketed over the past couple of years due to the increase in technology in our everyday lives.

There are many kids who could tell you of an instance where they have been involved in bullying or they have witnessed it occur. Sadly, it has become a part of our everyday school lives. I want you to think about one thing. How are the victims affected long term?

In a study done by Duke University in 2013, researchers found that both the victim and the tormenter are affected long into their years of adulthood. They found that the victims are negatively affected while those who were doing the bullying are, in the long run, healthier. Bullies have low stress levels compared to their victims which they carry with them years later in their life. Victims suffer from long term mental health problems, such as, depression, anxiety, and panic disorders to name a few. They are also at a higher cardiovascular risk due to levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). High CRP levels are a result of stress and often lead to more cardiovascular complications down the line. (Zielinski, 7)

Another thing to think about is the most common causes of death in adolescents. Suicide has become one of the biggest causes of death in young adults. In many of these cases, they took their life because of being bullied. Take young Rebecca Ann Sedwick’s story for example. At the age of twelve she took her life because of a group of girls who had been verbally, emotionally, and cyber bullying her. There was a group of fifteen girls who followed her everywhere and ridiculed her. When her mother switched Rebecca to a new school they took to the internet to bully her. Local officials and school officials were involved but it wasn’t enough to stop young Rebecca from jumping to her death on her way to school. (Kuruvilla, 8) Another sad story is that of Jordan Lewis. He was fifteen years old when he shot himself in the chest because of the physical and emotional abuse he was receiving from his peers. He left behind a note saying that bullying was the main reason for his actions. The day before his death he watched a video at school about bullying. Officials believe that this gave Jordan the idea of suicide. Police did a wellness check on Jordan the night before and alerted his mother but it wasn’t enough to stop him from pulling the trigger. Their stories are just two of many that color our newspapers today. (Hamilton, 5)

Children who are the victims of bullying are more than two times more likely to take their own lives (1). There are thousands of people in the U.S alone struggling with the after effects of bullying. Personally, I was bullied for five years when I was in middle, and elementary school. To this day I struggle with depression; it is a mental illness that I will have to fight with for many more years to come.

The government has been trying to crack down on bullies in schools. The two girls, who were responsible for driving Rebecca Ann Sedwick to jump, were charged with felony aggravated assault. Throughout my years in school I have had to sit through many lectures on why bullying is bad and why we shouldn’t do it. This is the school systems saying they are fighting against bullying, but in my case it didn’t make a difference.

There are too many people who are being affected by bullies. There are so many studies on why bullies do what they do, but what people often seem to forget about is their victims. Suicide numbers have been growing too much in the past couple of years in adolescence. It is important that we take the time now to help those who need it. How many more children have to die before we finally take a stand against bullying?


Bibliography:
"Teenage Bullying." - Bullying Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2014
Kaplan, Karen. "Victims of Bullying Live with the Consequences for Decades, Study Says." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 June 2014.
10, March. "Teens Taunted by Bullies Are More Likely to Consider, Attempt Suicide." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 June 2014.
Seaman, Andrew M. "Bullying among Kids Tied to Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempts." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 June 2014
Hamilton, Matt. "Father Fights Back against Bullying after Son's Suicide." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 June 2014.
Bakalar, Nicholas. "Being Bullied Is Bad for Your Health." Well Being Bullied Is Bad for Your Health Comments. N.p., 12 May 2014. Web. 27 June 2014
Zielinski, Sarah. "Bullying's Long-Term Effects Seen in Both the Bullied and the Bully." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 12 May 2014. Web. 27 June 2014.
Kuruvilla, Carol. "Rebecca Sedwick Case: Both Suicide Victim and Bully Grew up in ‘disturbing’ Family Environments, Cop Says ." NY Daily News. N.p., 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 June 2014.