It's Gotta Stop

Bullying in elementary, middle, and high school is still a problem among children and teenagers across America. There have been many suicides due to the picking on of kids due to their race, appearance, and even sexual orientation. A line has to be drawn somewhere in order for this bullying matter to stop because I know that if I was a parent and my son or daughter was being bullied at school, I would want to come up there and handle the matter myself. In order to prevent this from happening all that needs to be done is the government needs to make an anti-bully law that defines the consequences of bullying if caught doing so, and the problem can be somewhat solved. Many would ask, “What good would these laws do?” Anti-bully laws are useful because they offer and apply stricter rules. This means punishment that sends a clear message that bullying will not be tolerated. Throughout my school years I was a bully. I did terrible things to my peers such as: punch, shove, tease, and swirlies (putting one’s head in a toilet and flushing). It wasn’t until I got older when I got in serious trouble with the law that I realized that what I was doing was wrong. I was fined, served jail time, and got suspended from school along with counseling sessions. My punishment alone was enough for me to fix my attitude and become a better person. When I went to jail, I didn’t just stay there until my mother got off of work so she could come get me; I was there for 3 whole days. That had to be one of the worst experiences in my whole entire life because I was scared shitless. I sat in a jail cell with all these grown men just looking at me like I was stupid. That was not my scene and I did not belong there. Not to mention, the ass whipping I received when my mom finally came and picked me up. Let’s just say I could hardly sit in a chair for a week straight. At Coyle Middle School, administrators have established a Light Brigade Club, which is a group of students that attend workshops and hold events. The clubs main goal is getting the message across that treating others with respect can get anyone far in life. Since the program took off in 2004, there has been a dramatic decrease in bullying and physical violence among students. When I joined the club, I could have never felt better. It was an exhilarating feeling knowing that I could help people out that were in the same position that I was in at one point in time. Really, the only reason why 98% of the boys and girls were being bullies was because of situations going on at home. Many of us had to learn the hard way that there are other ways to channel your anger other than picking on those whom we think lesser of. All I know is that sooner or later, it has to come to an end.