Stop Bullying Me!

Vital Stats

Jonathan B

Longmont, CO

people helped1100
People Doing It 1

The Problem

Bullying among today's youth is as prevalent as it has ever been. But many individuals say, "Bullying is just a part of growing up." I beg to disagree. Today, students are not only dealing with school issues. They are also dealing with home issues, the mixed messages in the media, self-identity, depression, high levels of stress, and more. Bullying only makes it worse. Many of us have the "final straw" when the stress or the anxiety becomes too much. With youth, bullying can push him or her to the breaking point at a much quicker rate. The result can be increased levels of stress, increased levels of anxiety, identity loss, depression, and/or suicidal thoughts. Some students have even taken their lives because they have been bullied. Not only is there in-school bullying, but there is a large amount of cyberbullying that can also emotionally and mentally injure a student. All types of bullying need to be addressed, and students need to understand what happens when he or she chooses to bully a fellow classmate.

Plan of Action

I have traveled around to schools and giving all-school assemblies to help students understand that bullying is harmful to everyone involved. I want to stop in-school bullying because I have seen the affects of bullying on students including increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. I have also heard of students taking their lives because of bullying. I want to be an inspiration to students across the country because bullying IS an issue. If I can reach out to one student, or one bully, to encourage them to stop bullying their classmates, then I will continue speaking and reach out to students one at a time. I would love to travel and speak to students about why bullying is such a big issue. I will continue to talk to community members and school officials to discuss the dangers of bullying and why it needs to be addressed. One student who takes their life because he or she is being bullied is one too many. So far, I have traveled to schools across Colorado, but this isn't enough. I want to start encouraging schools and students alike to form groups to address bullying. I want to do this on top of my speaking so that I can get students and school officials talking about this issue, and also begin talking about what the entire school can do about it.