For most people, school is a nuisance, but they just get through it. But for some people, school is horrible. The “dreading it the night before, palms sweating as you’re walking to class” kind of horrible. These unlucky few have been chosen, carefully examined and picked over for their specific set of qualifications. Maybe they were chosen for their braces. Or their glasses. Or maybe, their clothes were not of the highest possible brand and quality. All of these things have something in common: They are not like the rest of the kids. Something sets them apart. They aren’t “normal” or “cool” to someone else. These kids didn’t ask to be bullied, but because they had the nerve to set foot into school, not coming from exactly the same mold as the other kids, they are ridiculed, taunted, and mocked.

The thing about bullying is, it’s different for everyone. Everyone has their own definition of it. Some think bullying is getting in a fist fight, and someone else might think it’s judgemental glares from across the hallway. The point is, bullying is bullying. It’s different for everyone and everyone is affected by it in different ways. One person might be able to brush it off and not take it personally, but another person might remember it for the rest of their life.
Some people don’t realize that there is a direct relationship between bullying and suicide. Kids who  are bullied are two to nine times more likely to commit suicide, and at least half of all suicides among young people are related to bullying (“Bullying and Suicide, 2013). This is an epidemic in itself--a disease of our nation. And even though bullying is not a new phenomenon, some say bullying is worse today than it ever has been.
For most cases, it takes someone doing something drastic, like taking their own life, for people to realize the extent of the problem that is bullying. But why is that? Why does it take someone committing suicide to get any progress? There are many ways to prevent bullying, possibly the most important being to support them. Let them know they aren’t alone, and that their voice is heard. Another way to prevent bullying is using your voice. If you or someone you know has been a victim of bullying, share the story. Letting other people know what you or someone you know has gone through will not only help that person to know they aren’t alone, it will also help you by talking about it. The last extremely important way of preventing bullying, is to not be the bystander. If you see someone being bullied, help them. You never know how much your small act of kindness will truly help someone.