I think around 60% of children are bullied the most in middle school. For example, in the movie “Bully” all the children documented in that movie were in middle school between the ages of 11-14. Children are picked on for mainly their appearances. One child named Alex was bullied for how he looked and how he was socially. The bullies made fun of his lips because his were more plump. He went to teachers and they never helped like they said they would. That is a huge problem we have today, the teachers never help a suffering student. The more we put off their problems, it grows inside them and they grow depressed and angry and find no reason to be living, so they take their life.
I personally was bullied too. In sixth grade, I was bullied because the “popular kids” said I didn’t wear Vans shoes and because I wasn’t as pretty as my mom. There was a girl who’d write horrible notes and say they were from me and put them in people’s desks. It bothered me a lot that I wasn’t accepted because I didn’t wear the “right” shoes. So, I asked my sisters dad’s girlfriend at the time to buy me vans, and they started to talk to me a little.. But then they didn’t because I was a chubby little girl who didn’t look like her mom. When I heard they wouldn’t hang out with me because of my looks, I went home and cried. My mom told me, “Gab, friends come and go, they aren’t going to be your first nor your last.” I use that quote every day now. I started to straighten my hair more often and wear some mascara and Carmex. And still, no new friends..

I think bullies are the way they are because they grew up with struggling parents, and abusive family, not being taught good from bad, not raised right, or they didn’t have faith or believe in God. I believe all bullies are responsible for their victims. The bullies are the ones creating the impact on them every day. The bullies point out their flaws, their mistakes and why the victim is a misfit. No one should go through that pain ever. Not one single person deserves it. The victim is scared to go to school every day because they know exactly what to wake up to. The words that cut deep, and crush them and make their stomach turn in knots, and they feel the warm salty tears roll down their cheeks because they don’t want to deal with the scarring words anymore. The victim cries for help, and everyone is a listener or a bystander. Bullies only pick on the smaller and weaker (physically and mentally). Why? They feel more power.

On April 11th, 2013, David McLeod, a young boy I’ve known since seventh grade, took his life by hanging himself. He was bullied almost every day since middle school. All I know is that he took his life because he was having family problems at home, he was being bullied for how he was, and because his girlfriend was being rude and giving him a lot of trouble in life. These kids would also take his back pack and all his belongings and hide them around the classroom. David would ask for them back and beg them to stop doing what they did. The kids didn’t stop, they thought it was a joke, and David started crying.. He just wanted his stuff back. I remember I had a class with him and he was crying, and I got up, and yelled “GIVE HIM HIS STUFF BACK!” the bully laughed, and I snatched all David’s things and gave it back to him. He was called “gay”, “faggot”, “dumbass”, and “ugly”. He was none of those stated. He was straight, he was sweet, he was very friendly, and he was smart in school, and no one is “ugly”. I remember in seventh grade, he was being harassed, and I stepped in and yelled at the bully, and the bully laughed and walked away. I looked at David eyes asked him if he was okay, and asking him what happened. He said he was being made fun of for how he looked. I knew exactly how that felt. His face was flushed with redness, his eyes were pouring out with tears, he was hurting and suffering inside. I let him cry on my shoulder. I was there for him, and as soon as I thought he was okay, he really wasn’t. Maybe the bully at school lifted off of him, but the scarred past didn’t. Almost every day I saw him run to one teacher, and went into her class and poured out to her and once again, nothing changed. I wished I still could’ve been there for him, but I had to leave and move to Elk Grove.
It breaks my heart to see a child being bullied. No one deserves it. Yes, people may be rude, but that never gives anyone the right to be rude or more mean back to them. To this day I still see and hear about people being bullied. Even though 99% of the time I am not around to help the victim, I get worked up, and angry and sad because I wish I could’ve helped the struggling person. I’m not afraid to stand up to the bullies because all they are is troubled people who need help and God. Bullies do what they do because they can’t accept how other people are. I comfort the victim more rather than attack the bullies throat with my nails. Every day the victims are told to avoid their bullies. They do avoid them, but the bully follows them around and taunts them any time they can get. So from now on, every time I see someone being bullied, I WILL and I promise to God I will step in and help the suffering one.
In conclusion, usually everyone is bullied at least once in their life. They don’t deserve it. Everyone should stop bullying, because they have no real reason to. We all need to stay to ourselves, and have a positive school environment and teach kids to stay safe, lend a helping hand, make some ones day instead of giving examples of what not to do. When you think showing examples of what not to do will help in a good way, it really shows the kids to do that and use it against the weaker kind. We need to step up and show the victims we are there for them no matter what. We all are struggling with something, and sometimes we just need the comfort form someone, and to know that they will be there when needed.