Words DO hurt

Lately it seems like every time I turn on the news there’s a new story about someone being bullied. Facebook’s popularity has grown exponentially and while there are advantages to being able to contact all of your friends with a few clicks of a button, it has also given bullies a great way to target their victims, sometimes anonymously.

By now, you’ve probably seen or at least heard of this Youtube video where Jonah Mowry shares that he is a victim of bullying. To date, this video has received close to 7 million views.

But Jonah is not alone. He’s just one of the many teenagers who have been harassed and ridiculed by people who feel as though they have a superiority complex, when the reality is that they’re just assholes who are trying to cover up their own insecurities by putting others down.

Lady Gaga recently launched “Born this Way Foundation”. According to her website, the project “will focus on youth empowerment and equality by addressing issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development.”

The fact that a tragedy has to occur before we react just goes to show that our society has not progressed as much as we would like to think. Too many lives have been taken far too soon for no reason. Pretending that these issues aren’t happening isn’t going to make them go away.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Here are some statistics about bullying courtesy of Stompoutbullying.com

Bullying Statistics

• 1 out of 4 teens are Bullied.
• 9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school and online.
• As many as 160,000 students stay home on any given day because they’re afraid of being bullied.
• 1 out of 5 kids admits to being a bully, or doing some “Bullying.”
• 43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school.
• A poll of teens ages 12-17 proved that they think violence increased at their schools.
• 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.
• More youth violence occurs on school grounds as opposed to on the way to school.
• 80% of the time, an argument with a bully will end up in a physical fight.
• 1/3 of students surveyed said they heard another student threaten to kill someone.
• 2 out of 3 say they know how to make a bomb, or know where to get the information to do it.
• Playground statistics – Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention -4% Peer intervention – 11%. No intervention –   85%.

Cyber Bullying Statistics

• 43% of kids have been bullied while online. 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once.
• 97% of middle schoolers are bullied while onine.
• 47% of of older youth 18-24 are cyberbullied.
• 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once.
• 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages.
• 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once.
• 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online. More than 1 in 3 have done it more than once.
• 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.