An act of abuse

Current definition

Bully: (noun) a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person, who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.

Archaic definition

Bully: (noun) a man hired to do violence

Did you know that bullying is a form of abuse??

Did you know that between 60-80% of all children and teens are bullied?

In a landmark study consisting of 432 academically gifted eighth graders over the United States, two thirds of them admitted to being bullied, and one third harbored violent thoughts from the abuse.

Bullying can cause depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem and can eventually lead to SUICIDE.

I have more than one family member that has been the victim of bullying. Although there are many similarities in their personalities, there are also many differences. The most common denominator between them is: BRAINS.

What is it that makes an intellect so intimidating to other kids that they feel like they need to lash out in vulgar, harmful ways that can affect their targets for the rest of their lives?

Sure, maybe they'll have their moment of superiority and domination. But at the end of the day, most people know that if punks like them don't shape up their act, they'll be flippin burgers while the smart kids are saving lives and sending robots into outer space. That is, if the smart kids haven't been destroyed by the harmful abuse.

Ok, ok, maybe I'm being a little harsh here. But can you tell that I'm slightly irritated and hurt that those I love are being, or have been, hurt by the abuse of bullying?

Let's take a step back. Perhaps these bullies really suffer at home. I have been blessed with wonderful parents, and I always had a home that was warm and safe and happy. It's possible, and probable, that these kids don't have that. Maybe these kids have lost a loved one, perhaps they were bullied themselves. Maybe they feel the need to bring down someone else in order to gain friends. Maybe they use bullying as a way to conceal their own shame and anxiety.

or maybe it's just out of envy and resentment.

Whatever reason is, there's got to be a way to channel those emotions into something more productive and positive; for the their sake, and the sake of their victims.

******

I just spent about an hour looking for an inspirational video to tack on about bullying and I was unsuccessful. They were all too corny, or too graphic. Besides that, bullying comes in so many different forms that it's hard to grasp all of it in a 90 second video.

I just wish more people knew how serious and real bullying is. Lets face it, middle school is awful for everyone, but there are some kids who deal with bullying their entire lives-even in the work place. And another thing, not all of them have the gospel to get them through the abuse; bullycide (bullying that leads to suicide) is a very very REAL issue. And even if a person doesn't take their own life, many people deal with deep scars and significant pain from the effects of bullying for many years.

Well, I guess this is all I really have to say about this subject. It's times like these when you feel like your voice is so tiny and insignificant. Maybe I should change my major to human behavior so I can specialize in bullying and publish some awesome life changing stuff about it. Or maybe I can just hope that my tiny little fire can start other little fires that can get the message across the world somehow. Unlikely, but, a girl can dream.

That's all for now.

-Amber