Bullying In America

Every high school student in America must navigate through difficult obstacles to procure a diploma. Most of these obstacles are obligatory such as testing and attendance; however, there is one tribulation that is not: bullying. Bullying can be defined in several ways. It is the rude stares in the hallway, inviting someone to the lunch table only to make fun of them, the belittling comments in the classroom, the manipulative manner of a boyfriend or girlfriend, and the “funny” tweets that condemn peers. Most people define bullying in such a cliché manner that the word loses its value; some even consider bullying as a rite of passage that students should have throughout their school years. The permanent psychological or physical disturbance that bullying victims face is enough to see that there is nothing impractical about degrading children at a time in such a substantial time in their lives.
Bullying in society is seen as a minor thing. Bullying is made into something humorous through movies, songs, television, and stereotyping. Therefore, teenagers can be misled about the real devastation bullying can have on their classmates. It is more than short-term hurt feelings; it can be psychological and physical scarring that could potentially last the victim a lifetime. According to the American Society of Positive Care for Children’s website, “about 28 percent of students aged 12-18 reported being bullied at school during the school year” (Bullying Statistics and Information). This means almost one-third of students are dealing with this widespread dilemma, and it is only getting worse with more outlets for bullying such as social networking and easier access to the internet than ever before. Bullying in all forms is a threat to teenagers and can have serious or even deadly consequences to its