The Darkest Hour (Bullying and Its Effects)

     Bullying is just a part of life. It is unavoidable throughout school and even more in high school. This has been stated before and ideas very similar to these have even been published by a man named Tim Gill in his book, “No Fear; Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society.” He goes on to state that society has exaggerated what bullying really is and has even gone as far as to say that “playground spats” are being regarded as something overly serious. This man, after publishing his book and receiving multiple letters of hate, stated that he did not believe that bullying was a part of life. The people who sent him these letters are a perfect example of what Mr. Gill said did not exist. Bullying does exist and is the both the cause and effect of many of life’s great tragedies.

    Why do people bully? The most simplistic reason is that the bully craves power over another individual or group to make up for some kind of defect whether it is emotional or physical. These bullies are often hard to get rid of as they feel the need to prove that the defect does not make them weak. Thus, standing up is very difficult as is best done in a group. Bullies are often weakened when they are stood up against by multiple people. This is fantastic, but it rarely happens. People are slow to stand up and defend each other; it is just easier to walk by and ignore the problem. Another reason that this happens is that people are scared of being knocked down or bullied as well. The internet tends to give people a sense of fake confidence that allows them to stand up for each other without fear. It is so much more likely that one would stand up for another when they are not face to face with the problem.

   

     The most terrible tragedy seen as a result of repeated bullying is depression and then possibly even suicide. According to the CDC, an average of 4,400 young people take their own life every year with more than half being a direct result of bullying. To me, that is shocking, but at the same time, I understand it. These are not just numbers as they represent the lives of young people across the country. People, who will never graduate, never get married, never have a career. These people have ceased to exist physically and the changes, lives they would have affected, and goals they would have reached have ceased to exist as well. A whole life ended because of the decisions of a small group. These lives cannot be replaced and what has been done cannot be undone. Everything, no matter how small, comes with a price.