As students, the issue of bullying has been addressed quite frequently. We have all seen videos. We have all been told that, should we see someone being bullied, we should report the incident to an elder. We have all signed contracts declaring ourselves free of the purgatory that is bullying. Yet, we are continuously oppressed, intimidated, and violated.

There is a difference between being aware of what the issue is and understanding what the issue is – and for once, awareness is not the problem. Through blockbusters and after school specials, we have been taught to think that bullying is when a lonely tough kid stuffs a scrawny geek into a locker, or shatters a nerd’s glasses, or kicks a dork’s books to the floor. The basic visualization in our heads has always been a bully physically harming the target. While that may deem true in some cases, we are not given even an iota of insight into the world where bullies are partially likeable, do not tangibly injure others, and have the power to hurt us without lifting a finger.

We need to understand that bullying goes far deeper than our black eyes; it can affect our very souls. We need to understand that bullying is not just punching someone into oblivion – it is also laughing behind someone’s back, verbal harassment, and pushing someone into the darkest state of depression because they are different from us. We need to know that whether it is a snicker, a malicious rumor, demand for lunch money, or a punch to the stomach, it is all defined as bullying.

The most vital thing we need to understand is that we have all committed these crimes. We have all, accidentally or not, oppressed, intimidated, and violated others. At the same time, we have all been at the brunt of the matter as well. We are all victims, and we are all bullies.


What we can only do now is understand our mistakes, understand the issue, and set forth to make it right.