Essays on Bullying

Essays written by teenage students from the USA. 

No Escape
By Paulina Puskala, 17, Marquette, Mich.

Bullying, an unfortunate but seemingly inevitable human activity, has scattered itself through societies since the beginning of time. Cavemen participated perhaps in more extreme equivalents such as stoning each other, while modern businessmen call each other idiots on national television. The term “bully” refers to that three year old “meanie” at daycare who steals juice boxes, as well as the friend of that one guy’s cousin who stole that one girl’s chemistry partner’s boyfriend. The term “bullying” covers a broad, complicated spectrum of activities, but really boils down to this: placing an undeserving individual/group under a microscope, shredding it apart, and making it feel as small and insignificant as possible.

Despite the more recent pushes to end bullying in schools, this atrocity is nothing new to our educational institutions. Fifty years ago, one kid – angry at another for reasons no different than today – proceeded to beat him up beneath the monkey bars. Twenty minutes and a bloody nose later, the assaulter escaped the principal’s office with a warning before dawdling back to class. A swing of a fist nowadays, the assaulter lands in the hands of the cops pending expulsion. More extreme consequences keep physical bullying at bay, but kids find other ways to vent anger, and it is no cliché that words cause more pain than actions. Problems soon forgotten after a bit of innocent wrestling now drag on with extra name calling to make up for it.

Bullying once stayed within the confines of school property. Victims dreaded leaving home in the morning to attend eight-hour long torture sessions, but looked forward to returning to safety at night. Today unfortunately, technology-enabled bullies contain the ability to harass 24/7, right at their fingertips. Upon leaving school kids hold the ability to bombard and be bombarded with texts, instant messages, and social media. Stomach-churning words once expected between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. now stab without warning at any hour. Youth don’t feel safe in their own beds at night. “Just turn off the phone” is easy to say, but knowing that a profanity-spewing message is sitting right there ready to read does no good. 

Today’s problem isn’t so much the bullying itself – bullying has been around for centuries. The problem is that it is difficult to escape it. Evenings, weekends, and family vacations once free from peers are now engulfed in the stress of unlimited communication. Unlimited communication no doubt has its benefits, but because it, no matter what the hour or location, it’s near impossible to be free. Despite campaigning, bullying itself won’t become extinct, but the safety felt by victims can be increased. Technology – a prominent form of bullying – can be limited. Parents can limit the use of technological features such as texting and social media while encouraging and modeling healthy habits: the dinner table and bed are no place for a cell phone. Communication is essential, but the inability to leave stress at school even at night has caused our youth big problems.

My Hurt
By Madison Jaronski, 15, New Hope, Penn.

Tears have been flooding down my face; breathing is a task that now seems impossible. I draw my legs closer and closer into my chest as I try to transform the pressure into reassuring comfort. I begin to slowly rock myself and by now my tears have colored my pillow black. The lights are off and no one is home to hear my helpless cries. Thoughts are running mindlessly through my brain but the only word I manage to create is why. Why me? Why has this happened to me? Why has all of this happened in one year? One year. Those thoughts only seem to make me cry even louder. All the memories from past incidents now rush to my mind and I am now consumed, lost in my own sea of tears with nothing or no one to be my boat to take me to shore.

I honestly can’t recall how long I lay there that night. Any sense of time has vanished months ago for me because it does not matter what time or day it is: I knew I would be bullied. As I reflect upon this year, all of my accomplishments and enjoyable moments are overshadowed by the pain and harassment that was thrust upon me. Just looking at my surface, you would see, a confident young woman, as sturdy as a rock. You would never think that I was broken, broken into a million pieces like shattered glass, all because of the work of a group of senior boys. You would never think that I have starved myself multiple times due to my desire to fade into the backdrop of the world. 

Whenever I build up the strength to tell someone about this year, I get the same old fake response “Oh my, how horrible, I am so sorry. But don’t worry, I have been bullied too so I understand.” The thing is though; that statement is never comforting because right then I think “Really… You have been verbally attacked while walking in your hometown and school? You have been betrayed by some of your closest friends? Spent many late nights to early mornings crying yourself to sleep? You have been publicly harassed? And still at the end of all of it, got blamed for every last thing too?” Nobody ever answers “yes” back. Never. 

I hope I just took some of you back and made you realize that bullying is specific. No two acts of bullying are the same because bullying is always personal, always meant to strike home with that individual person, to make that individual feel as if she is completely worthless to the world. That is what a group of senior boys did to me this year, and I only got through this year because I had my closest friend right by my side, a beacon through this storm. 

    You can find more essays at winning-student-essays-on-bullying

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. What do you think about bullying?

. What can we do to stop it?

. What advice do you give to those students who have a hard time at school for being considered freaks or nerds?