bul-ly, verb, use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.
Most people don’t realize how big of a problem bullying is. Bullying is so common in our lives that we don’t even realize that its happening when it does. We believe it to be something normal.
Before people would correlate bullying as something that only happens in school or at work. Now the harassment doesn’t end when you step off the bus or go home. Cyberbullying has now become more prevalent than face to face bullying. People of a variety of ages hide behind a computer screen, feeling they can say whatever and do whatever because nobody will know who they are.
Recently I volunteered at an anti-bullying summit at Geroge Washington University in Washington DC. The summit had plenty of speakers from around the world come and talk to others about what they have experienced, what they have done, and what they have learned. For example, the director of a well-known app Afterschool came and talked as well as an attorney who has dealt with cases of bullying in court. We also had case study discussions of bullying in school. I was not able to see all the presenters or attend all the meetings because I was helping people check in and directing people as to where they should go. As well as set up tables for breakfast and lunch.
Honestly from the little parts I did go to I learned a lot. I learned about what people have gone through, I learned about people who had to leave their family because they wanted to be with someone who wasn’t their race, I learned about what schools in California and Chicago have implemented to combat bullying. It was all in all a great experience. I got to talk about bullying I’ve seen and we got to do mini bullying simulations to see what it feels like to be a bystander, bully, and a victim.
Telling someone fat doesn’t make you any skinner. Telling someone they’re stupid doesn’t make you any smarter. Telling someone to die doesn’t make your life longer. We need to start standing up to those who walk all over us and get away with it. We are all human beings. We all have emotions. No matter if your gay, straight, transgender, black, white, brown, a Muslim or a Christian, we are all welcomed to this world we all are different and that’s what makes life wonderful. So please I am begging you to be careful about how you treat others. It takes a few seconds to say hurtful words but it takes a lifetime to get over it.
Tehmeena's Life 