Puberty sucks for most teenagers; they’re not used to the changes that are happening to their bodies. They can get bad acne, their voices are starting to change and, boy, other people are starting to look attractive. Changes like this can make kids feel insecure about themselves so then they might pick on each other for it.
Zaya Benton, who goes to Franklin D. Roosevelt middle school, knows what this life is like. “I believe I started going through puberty when I first got into 7th grade. Kids used to laugh at me for the way I looked. I hated myself.” Zaya shared that it wasn’t until she made it to the 8th grade that her friends also knew what is was like to be made fun of by their peers. “We all felt horrible by the way we looked but my friends helped me through that. It’s just a phase.”
The U.S. government anti-bullying website writes about children who are bullied and reports that children who are harassed can encounter negative physical, school and emotional wellness issues. Children who are harassed will probably experience melancholy emotions and nervousness, feelings of bitterness and forlornness, changes in rest and eating, and loss of enthusiasm for exercises they used to appreciate. These issues may endure into adulthood.
Benton said, “I knew a lot of people around me were going through the same thing just like me. Everyone including myself had their own way of dealing with it.”
The government website also reports that a child’s well-being and school performance are diminished by bullying. They will probably miss, skip or drop out of school. Some harassed youngsters may encounter a great degree of brutal measures. As the government anti-bullying site says, “In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a past filled with being tormented.”
Benton said, “There were times where I felt depressed and I couldn’t get out of bed all day. I just wanted to stay wrapped up with my headphones and sleep all day.”
The government also reports children who bully others are likely to participate in vicious and other dangerous practices into adulthood. Children who are bullied are more prone to use liquor and different medications in adolescence and as grown-ups get into battles, vandalize property, and drop out of school. They may also take part in early sexual encounters and have criminal tendencies as grown-ups. As grown-ups they may also be abusive towards others including partners or children.
Benton said she knew one girl who was a year older back in elementary school. This girl committed suicide because she felt like she was being bullied by the entire world. “She barely had any friends, she only talked to her cousin that we all went to school with. I don’t know why people had to pick on her. We all just thought it was funny.”
Bullying can also make people want to commit suicide. Children who are harassed are in danger of suicide; tormenting alone isn’t the reason. Numerous issues add to suicide hazard, including melancholy, issues at home and physical abuse. Also, particular populations have an expanded danger of suicide, including American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian American, lesbian, gay, promiscuous, and transgender youth. This hazard can be amplified when these children are not supported by guardians, companions and schools. Tormenting can aggravate the lives of these children who have little or no support.
