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Matt Davies-Morris

DiSomma

ERWC

2 February 2017

Its More Than Kids Being Kids

Bullying has been a topic of conversation for many years now. It occurs in schools, the

workplace, or just in daily life, for kids and adults. We talk about why they are bullied to what

are the results. Bullying impacts us as kids and also as adults, along with why theyre bullied,

and how it affects the life around them in 2017.

When you think of bullies, school is one of the first things to come to mind. The children

victimized are heavily impacted in school due to these bullies. For example, during the school

year, 160,000 kids stay home from school each day to avoid torment (Brown). These kids are

losing important time at school by staying home, These bullies are affecting the education of

these kids, If the act of torment was to increase, some common results to bullying are anxiety,

aggression, and depression (Bullying Statistics). These effects of bullying can cause more

problems in school for the victim and damage themselves to the core. Mark Dombeck was

bullied repeatedly. He would have to run home from the school bus as an attempt to escape the

bullies. They would beat him up on his way home for no reason at all (Dombeck). What

happened to Mark Dombeck happens to kids all over the county. This not only damages them

physically, but mentally as well. Causing them to do worse in school.

The act of bullying can also lead to a lasting effect on the individual later in life. One

example of this is how, among a large group of children in England, those who were bullied

were 60% more likely to have mental health problems as adults (Kaplan). While some people
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find bullying to be teasing or kids being kids, it does forever damage a person. Those bullied

when they are children tend to develop an issue trusting others, along with a fear of social

situations. This can cause one to lower their chances of being successful in life by not having

these qualities (Dombeck). Bullying can lead to a change in someones personality, and as

shown, this damages their ability to live a good, successful life. Katelyn Stapleton was bullied

frequently as a child until her mom had to step in to help her daughter (Brown). It takes an

outside party, like a family member tor peer to help another deal with bullying.

Even those who are not victims of bullying can see the impact of it around them.

Recently, a poll of teens ages 12-17 proved that they think violence increased at their schools

(The Issue). These students look at where they go to learn, and they see a change occur in the

environment around them. Even the bullies themselves admit to others that they have bullied

around 30% of students (Bullying Statistics). These kids aren't even trying to hide what they

have done now. In the eighth grade, Mark Brown knew a girl named Molly. She never saw

herself as a bully, but she did call others names. WHen Mark explained the power of words to

her. She then reached out to Emily, a student diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and began to help

her and build a relationship with her (Dombeck). Sometimes it takes a lot to make someone

realize that what they are doing isnt right, and when they do, they realize what they have done to

their peers.

These kids being picked on are not being bullied by random, many bullies torment others

due to certain factors. In surveys on bullying, some of these factors are socioeconomic status,

family life, and gender (Kaplan). These kids are seen as less due to these factors, so they are

singled out by bullies. According to Mark Dombeck, the reason that kids are bullied by others is

because they are the ones with thin-skin, the kids that others see as weak (Dombeck). These
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bullies are picking kids they see as less solely to make themselves feel better. A recent study

shows that 9 out of 10 LGBT Students experienced harassment at school (The Issue). These

students are being singled out due to the fact that they are who they are.

In the end, the act of bullying is something that impacts people, no matter who they are. It

is up to us to stand up and help those victimized and combat this growing issue.
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Works Cited

Brown, Mark. Life After Bullying. CSU Expository Reading and Writing Course. The

California State

University, 2013. Print. January 2017.

Bullying Statistics and Information. American Society for the Positive Care of Children.

American

Society for the Positive Care of Children, 2017. Web. 19 January 2017.

Dombeck, Mark. The Long Term Effects of Bullying. American Academy of Experts in

Traumatic

Stress. The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress 2014. Web. 19 January

2017.

Kaplan, Karen. Bullying Does More Long Term Mental Health Harm Than Abuse, Study Says.

Los

Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 28 April 2015. Web. 19 January 2017.

The Issue of Bullying. STOMP Out Bullying. STOMP Out Bullying, 2016. Web. 19 January

2017.