Dear bully or anyone who thinks bullying is OK,
I do not know you and you do not know me. I do not know why you do what you do or even what you are doing. Honestly, that is none of my business. What I do know is it is wrong, it is hurtful and it is very serious.
You are probably thinking I am just another person trying to give you another lesson on bullying that you have heard a thousand times. I guess in a way I am, but that does not change the fact that we all need to open our eyes.
Earlier this year, a young boy from my college town reportedly committed suicide due to bullying. Just this last week, a high school student from my hometown also took his own life because he was being bullied. Both these young men felt as though suicide was the only answer, which is supported by a study in Britain that found over half of suicides among youth are related to bullying.
This should scare you. No one should ever feel like they do not have a choice. No one should be afraid to go to school. It is not fair.
I am sure you have heard this all before and you probably think that you are different. YOUR jokes would never go that far. YOUR name-calling is justified. YOUR victim knows you do not mean it.
Maybe you think what you are doing is normal. It is not a big deal; everyone has gone through it at least once. Kids are just being kids, right?
Well guess what, you and anyone else who think bullying is okay are wrong. It is never OK. If you have heard all these facts hundreds of times, then why have you not stopped? Why do you think it is OK? What makes you think that you are different from all these stories in the news? What is the point of it?
I realize that driving someone to commit suicide is not the goal for most of you, but that still does not change the facts. I doubt that anyone thought it would go that far, but it did. And it could happen to you, because the truth is you are not different. Facts are facts, and we do not always know what is happening in someone else’s life.
So the next time you think, “it is not a big deal,” remember that to some people it is a big deal. Put yourself in his or her shoes and think about how you would feel. You can make a difference, even if you do not realize it. Make it a good difference.
Sincerely,
Someone who wants to make a difference
