Although people are wearing purple today to stand against specifically bullying LGBT youth, I will be wearing it to stand against any kind of bullying period. In honor of this day, Id like to share a very personal story. In the sixth grade, I was severely verbally harassed by a group of girls who I considered to be friends of mine. To outsiders it may seem silly for an 11-year-old girl to be hurt by things her female peers say, but as a still-developing person, I couldnt handle it. Every day for months, I suffered taunts about what I wore, how I dressed and even what I ate. These comments stung and slowly chipped away at my self-esteem. By the end of the year, the harassment I received had gotten so bad that on the back of an art project I was working on, I wrote horrible things about myself. Only until a fellow classmate reported my actions to a teacher did school staff actually hear about my situation. Fortunately I became friends with another group of girls in that class who I consider myself close to even after almost 13 years. They accepted me for who I was, no questions asked. Looking back, Im almost glad I endured this awful experience because it made me stronger and helped shape me into the confident person I am today. According to studies by Yale University, bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims. I get sad when I read about another suicide caused by bullying, and I realize how grateful I am that I didnt become a statistic. Although we are not in middle school anymore, it still pays to be kind to others, both in and out of the classroom. You have no idea how good it can make someone feel. So today I wear purple to stand against bullying all youth. Schools definitely need to take it more seriously. Nobody deserves it, and it shouldnt be tolerated. #SpiritDay
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 17:09:45 +0000
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