Every year, thousands of students are bullied, whether it’s online or in person. In the U.S., 1 in 5 students from the ages 12-18 have experienced bullying. 

Students are targeted for many different reasons. The reasons can vary based on what you look like, down to something you are doing. 

“Just who they are, and what they wear,” sophomore Jalen Malone said. “Mainly gender, or their pronouns sometimes, because some people don’t support the LGBTQ+ community, or they just simply don’t understand everything, and stuff like that.” 

Bullying can not only affect your mental health, but it can also affect your mental image of yourself. Bullying can help be the change of how you think of yourself and things you do. 

“You don’t want to be yourself because you’re scared of what other people will think of you,” freshman Bryleigh Snellgrove said. “You’re scared of what people will say after you get bullied for a while, and you just want to disappear.”  

Sometimes, bullying can be disguised as friendship or funny banter. But it’s truly just a disaster waiting to happen. 

“There’s usually a line,” freshman Annabelle Reed said. “When they are your friends, there is a line between playful teasing and bullying. But it’s different for different people.”

True friendship is being there, and standing by their side. True friendship shows you who is going to be there for you no matter what is happening. 

“One time I had a friend, and she was getting into a fight and people were hurting her and stuff,” sophomore Stella Rodriguez said. “And I got in the way to save her and to stop them. I asked why they were doing it, and they said that they were bullying her because she was different from them.”

Bullies are just as self-conscious and lost as those they intimidate. 

“They just feel insecure,” Annabelle said, “And they probably don’t feel well, or they probably don’t have the best self esteem.”

Will the issue of bullying ever go away? Probably not. However, the answer to help solve the problem is surprisingly simple. 

“Be nice, treat others how you want to be treated,” Stella said. “Don’t let your temper get the best of you, and don’t get overwhelmed.”