Imagine being told to go kill yourself. How would you react? How long would that haunt your thoughts? What if you already had those thoughts? How much would these words hurt?
I recently learned that a girl told our thirteen year old daughter to go kill herself. I was appalled that an eighth grader would say such a thing! No one should say that to anyone! In my teaching years I have heard that kids have said this to others before. This time it hit home. This time it was MY daughter. I am still shocked and angered that young kids talk this way. Do they understand the pain that this can cause? Do they understand the long term scars that words can leave?
I recently learned that a girl told our thirteen year old daughter to go kill herself. I was appalled that an eighth grader would say such a thing! No one should say that to anyone! In my teaching years I have heard that kids have said this to others before. This time it hit home. This time it was MY daughter. I am still shocked and angered that young kids talk this way. Do they understand the pain that this can cause? Do they understand the long term scars that words can leave?
It's ironic that this information came on the day that we did an activity about negative comments in one of my classes. It has been said that it takes five positive comments to counteract one negative comment. The San Joaquin County Office of Education put together several articles that refer to this ratio. Today in one of my classes students were asked to volunteer to share a negative thought about themselves or their life. When they did this they placed a quarter into a glass. I then asked other students to take a nickle from my hand and give a positive comment to the student and then place the nickel in the glass. This helped students to start thinking about changing their negative thoughts into positive thoughts.
There have been copious news stories about kids that have been bullied and then attempt, or complete suicide. The National Voices for Equality, Education, and Enlightenment site shared a statistic from the American Association of Suicidology that reported, "Suicide rates among 10 to 14-year-olds have grown more than 50 percent over the last three decades." The Bullying Statistics site reported, "A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying and 10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide."
A fifty percent increase in suicide is unacceptable! I don't remember anyone ever telling someone to kill themselves when I was in school. Bullying happened, but not to that extent. It's no wonder that bullying is a larger issue now. When my parents were in school bullying would end with a schoolyard fight and it was over. Today teens are told to kill themselves and constantly bombarded with horrible message through technology.
Bullying is not only linked to suicide, but also to increased long term depression and anxiety. Bullying Statistics states, "Both bullies and their victims are more likely to suffer from depression than youth who are not involved in bullying. This connection can be long-lasting; people who are bullied as children are more likely to suffer from depression as an adult than children not involved in bullying."
With these staggering statistics we can not sit idly by and say that "kids will be kids." I was bullied in school. The worst situation is still a clear memory in my mind twenty-six years later. I was also the captain of the cross-country, and track teams and cheerleading squad. I was the editor of the school paper and yearbook. I was the secretary of my class. I was thin, athletic, and smart. I was still bullied.
My sister, Nicole, was bullied to the point that she no longer saw value in herself. She was bullied in elementary, junior high, high school, college, and as an adult. This all lead up to her vulnerability for an evil man to manipulate and control her. She had no value in herself after all of the abuse and bullying that she took. No amount of positives could make up for her negatives.
If you know about a bully, whether a student, an adult in the workplace, or someone in an abusive relationship, stand up. Let Your Light Shine in whatever way that you can. Approach the situation, write a letter, or help the person being bullied. Wednesday, October 19 is Unity Day against bullying. Wear orange, hang up a poster, post on social media. Statistics clearly show that if we want to end suicide, and decrease mental illness we need to also end bullying. To end bullying we must ALL Let Our Light Shine!
Bullying is not only linked to suicide, but also to increased long term depression and anxiety. Bullying Statistics states, "Both bullies and their victims are more likely to suffer from depression than youth who are not involved in bullying. This connection can be long-lasting; people who are bullied as children are more likely to suffer from depression as an adult than children not involved in bullying."
With these staggering statistics we can not sit idly by and say that "kids will be kids." I was bullied in school. The worst situation is still a clear memory in my mind twenty-six years later. I was also the captain of the cross-country, and track teams and cheerleading squad. I was the editor of the school paper and yearbook. I was the secretary of my class. I was thin, athletic, and smart. I was still bullied.
My sister, Nicole, was bullied to the point that she no longer saw value in herself. She was bullied in elementary, junior high, high school, college, and as an adult. This all lead up to her vulnerability for an evil man to manipulate and control her. She had no value in herself after all of the abuse and bullying that she took. No amount of positives could make up for her negatives.
If you know about a bully, whether a student, an adult in the workplace, or someone in an abusive relationship, stand up. Let Your Light Shine in whatever way that you can. Approach the situation, write a letter, or help the person being bullied. Wednesday, October 19 is Unity Day against bullying. Wear orange, hang up a poster, post on social media. Statistics clearly show that if we want to end suicide, and decrease mental illness we need to also end bullying. To end bullying we must ALL Let Our Light Shine!
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