This was originally an article I wrote for my school newsletter because I was sick of how much bullying was going on at my school. The newsletter just came out and so far nothing has changed; I really wish it would.

If you saw bullying, what would you do to stop it? Would you stand by and let it happen, take part in it or try to stop it? Not many students think about this, and that’s part of the problem.


‘Treat others the way you want to be treated.’ That’s the Golden Rule and it should be followed in every aspect of your life. If someone was in a position to stop you from being bullied and did nothing, how would you feel? If you find that unacceptable, you must do everything you can to stop others from hurting people.


Are you even remotely aware of how much pain these victims feel every day? They go to school knowing they’re going to be hurt and they see no way out. This is because people like you and many others stand by and let it happen without contemplating how much pain this is causing people. Ask yourself this: How would you feel if you were in the victim’s position and could see no end to your pain?


When the victims see no way out, they may choose to tragically end their life, leaving more hurt behind for those who were unable to stop it. Canada has the third-highest teen suicide rate of all the industrialized nations, with 15 deaths per 100,000 people. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-24, behind motor vehicle accidents. The death of a young person is always a waste of life, so how many more lives must be wasted before something is done?


If you condone bullying in any way, shape or form, you are taking part in it. Bullying is everyone’s responsibility and the option of doing nothing is unacceptable in civilized society. Some people may consider mocking someone funny, even though it is anything but funny to the victim. Small jabs taken every day can add up to a lot of pain and suffering. While it may seem innocent to the person taking the shots, the cumulative effect of these daily jabs could be devastating. In addition to that, as the pain increases, each jab cuts a little deeper.


Bullying can happen in school, so it is the responsibility of students to protect their classmates and to show everyone the dignity and respect they would like to be treated with. The first line of defense in bullying is in student’s own behavior. But when that fails, it must be brought to the attention of someone in authority, like a teacher. The concept of someone in authority failing to address the problem is simply not acceptable. This is why you must speak to a teacher you trust and know will do something to stop the bullying.


Bullying is happening everywhere, even at your own school. You may not see it, you may not know it is there, but it is happening and it causes unimaginable pain to the victims. The only way to end bullying is to talk about it openly rather than making it a taboo issue. If someone is hurting another person, they will not stop unless someone (either a fellow classmate or someone in authority) stands up for the victim and tells their tormentor to stop. Bullying is everyone’s problem; therefore everyone has to be part of the solution.