With his head hung low, eyes to the ground, and cement-heavy-feet dragging him along the school halls, he takes the brutal beating of other peer’s words thrown at him. Everyday feels like a year when he struggles to find a reason to go on. He inhales a sharp breath as he prepares for another day of beat downs and foul language directed at him. Almost half of school age children have been a victim of bullying during their school years. With student awareness and involvement, the negative effects of bullying that lead to teen suicide, academic failure, and emotional distress can be eliminated.

Behavior associated with bullying may occur as young as eight years old, and exists in both boys and girls. Cyber bullying has become a popular way to anonymously threaten someone without giving away his or her identity. Does hiding behind a computer screen make you any less innocent of taking part in bullying? Anyone who is seen as “different” may be a possible victim of bullying. Children and teens are given labels such as, “nerdy”, “fat”, “retarded”, “homo”, and “emo” if they do not fit into the “perfect” picture of what society expects us to be. Bullying can occur at any place teens and children go; school hallways, lunch, school bus, the mall, or online social networking sites.

When bullying reaches it’s maximum height, it may lead some teens to suicide. Teens who are bullied suffer with depression, anxiety, and low self esteem. More than half of attackers involved with school shootings since 1974 have had history with depression, and of those, 75 percent attempted suicide before their attack, according to research. The constant tormenting by other peers leave some teens feeling hopeless, seeing suicide as their only solution. Although suicide is a common result of bullying, not all bullied kids turn to this option.

Students who are bullied often struggle with focusing on their academics. According to research, kids who bully peers tend to take part in negative activities, have a lack of care when it comes to their education, and drop out of high school at a higher rate compared to their peers. Having straight A’s, then dropping to D’s is not an unusual pattern when a student is being bullied. Fear is running through their mind, and there is a lack of concentration. The feeling of loneliness, depression, and desperation may keep them from sleeping at night. All of these factors contribute to academic failure when a student is being bullied.

Bullies leave their victims with emotional scars that may never go away. Children who were bullied suffer with loneliness and depression when approaching adulthood. Those associated with bullying others are more likely to become involved with drugs, alcohol, shoplifting, and other serious crimes. Sixty percent of males who were bullies in school were convicted of at least one crime as an adult. Of these former bullies, 40 percent had been convicted for at least three more crimes by the age of twenty-four, according to research. Girls who were victims of bullying often carry the fear of isolation and rejection into adulthood. Bullying takes an emotional toll on its victims, having them live their worst nightmare everyday.


How can you tell if someone is sending you a silent cry for help or slowly turning into a destructive monster? You can easily watch for signs that someone is being bullied or they are turning into a bully themselves. Many teens and children who are bullied isolate themselves from family, friends, and activities that used to bring them pleasure. Anxiety and the fear of going to school may become evident. Those being bullied also have a lack of sleep and constant nightmares. It is also important to watch the signs of a potential bully. Along with feeling depressed, a bullies’ verbal and physical aggression increases. A sudden stash of new toys, electronics, or money may be the result of stealing from a peer.

With the help from students and teens, we can stop bullying. We can prevent teen suicide, academic failure, and emotional distress. We can take a stand against bullying and transform our generation into people who do not treat any one person different because of their clothes, skin, sexuality or religion. Together, as many unique individuals, we can stop this rising problem by accepting each other’s differences.