Did you know, according to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, and it results in about 4,400 deaths per year? Did you know, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying and 160,000 children stay home from school every day because they fear of getting bullied, according to ABC News.

I believe the most upsetting fact about bullying is that children aren't born knowing what bullying is. They aren't born wanting to be mean to other children. Babies are clay and parents are the sculptors. Parents are the reason they are who they are. A parents job is to mold and shape their child into the best form of what/who they want them to be. Parents, it is your job to teach children what is right and wrong. It is your job to be a good influence and show your children what it is like to be kind to everyone, even if they are different than you. Being mean to other people is something that should never be taught to children.

With that being said, social media has a big influence on bullying today. Children have access to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other apps. Children get on these websites/apps and see all kinds of people making fun of other people or commenting harsh things on others profiles. What you post on the internet now, will follow you for the rest of your life. Whether you think so or not. Many of these online bashings carry on into school.

When a child comes home from school crying because someone made fun of the color of their skin, them having freckles, them not having name brand clothes, them not having an iPhone at the age of 9, or because they don't do well in class; that’s not bullying... That’s being cruel. Children should be at school for one reason and one reason only, to learn. Your children aren’t sent to school every day for the teachers to have to discipline them because they were being mean to a fellow classmate.

Bullying is never a joke. It’s never funny. It’s never harmless. It’s something that should never happen. If you’ve ever been bullied, it’s not your fault. There are always going to be mean people in the world. There is always going to be something that doesn’t go your way. That’s just a fact of life.

If you are/have been bullied, just know that you are better than that. Don’t return the favor.. just walk away. Of course, you should always stand up for yourself, but there are other ways of doing that than bullying someone. You should always remember that God has a plan for you, he thinks you are perfect the way you are, and he loves you no matter what. You should never feel like you’re less than what you are. You are wonderfully made.

When I hear of bullying stories I always think “the child getting bullied isn’t the real loser in the situation. The kid that is bullying others is." The kids being bullied can use those hurtful words to their benefit. They can become stronger and learn how to stand up for themselves and others. However, the child bullying others will probably never stop being mean. There needs to be a stop put to bullying, and it needs to be soon.