October 1 is the start of the month long national campaign called National Bullying Prevention Month. The goal of this campaign is to educate the communities and creating awareness and safe spaces for bullying prevention. One inspiring story everyone should hear about is Victor Vargas. The nonprofit organization Hey U.G.L.Y (Uniquely, Gifted, Lovable, You) focuses on creating safe spaces for those who have been affected by bullying and suicide with the overall goal of addressing these concerns and prevention. Hey U.G.L.Y Organization is lucky to have Victor Vargas as a survivor and a speaker to serve the community who have been affected by bullying or suicide. The story of Victor's journey of how he survived bullying is found below.
Victor Vargas, Survivor and Speaker for HeyUGLY.orgwww.youtube.com
After viewing this video on Victor's life it is time to reflect on what this story brings up. I have learned that bullies target those who have marginalized traits.These traits are less likely to be appreciated in society. For example bullying can take place in the form of appearance. For those who are overweight or to thin are more likely to be made fun of as opposed to those who are more 'athletic'. Another factor is ethnicity. The marginalized traits of ethnicity are those who do not have Caucasian features such as Asians and Hispanics. On the other hand, presenting more Caucasian or white features is considered to be a dominant trait.
I have learned that times may be bleak when you want to give up and can't take it any longer. However, I have learned that a person will come out much stronger then they once were before from facing a hardship. A hardship like bullying provides lessons to both the survivor and the victim. These lessons can be shared into stories just like what Vargas has done by sharing his story at school assemblies. In fact, he even wrote his own book Almost Bullied to Death.
Hey U.G.L.Y Organization
As we continue on with our day we must remember to be an ally and that National Bully Prevention Month is to create an awareness for bully prevention. Remember to always speak up and not be a bystander when witnessing bullying. When these acts of prevention are achieved a much more peaceful environment is created. So remember to be kind and love yourself for who you are and don't be a bully.
