A girl named Sarah from Arundel High School in Maryland was
being constantly bullied at school, and though she asked for help from school
officials, nothing had been done.
Hopeless that change would come, Sarah took to her Reddit page. She
posted an article about the harassment she was enduring and the lack of adult
involvement, and went so far as to suggest it would only end if she committed
suicide.
Outraged by the school’s
refusal to address the bullying issues, thousands of people who read Sarah’s
post, which went viral, took it upon themselves to email Arundel High’s
principal. The very next day, actions were taken by the school to discipline
the bully. Soon after, police arrested the bully for harassing another student.
Standing up to bullies can be really scary, but when people
like Sarah expose the shortcomings in the school system it only works to ensure
a safer future for everyone else.
If you are being bullied, try these tips to seek support
from your community:
Tell everyone! Don’t
be shy or ashamed of the fact that someone is picking on you.
Tell any adult who will listen to you because even if some of them dismiss you, someone is bound to
take your concerns seriously. Tell your parents, teachers, the principal, the
school nurse, your aunts, uncles, grandparents, even older siblings.
Reach out to your friends for help. Use your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blog and any
other form of social media to speak out against bullying and share your
personal experiences. The more people know about you and how you are being
hurt, the more they will feel inclined to help. Be aware though that you are
putting your personal story out in a public sphere and some people could
comment rudely. Stand strong!
Start or join an anti-bullying movement in your school or
neighborhood. Being bullied is a common
experience so many people will be able to relate to what you are going though.
When anti-bullying becomes more popular less people will bully since they want
to seem cool.
Never stand for being bullied. Each and everyone of us is an important and special person with
awesome things to contribute to the world
and no one has the right to tell you otherwise. Stick up for other kids
who are being bullied. Visit thetrevorproject.org to learn how.
BY AMANDA POOLE ON 4/9/2012 4:38:00 PM
POSTED IN bullying 101, how to deal with a bully, In the News, bullying, social media