“More than a third (37 percent) of teens admit that they are sometimes teased or picked on at school, and boys are slightly more likely than girls to say this happens to them, according to the Gallup Survey For Teens. The report reads, “Bullying has always been a terrible experience for those being bullied because of the pain caused everyday.” Some students will stay home from school to avoid the hurtful interactions.
Today, in teen lingo, theses bullies are known as school “haters”—individuals or a group of bullies or gossip groups. Bulling and gossip cause emotional and physical pain to its victims. Gossip groups are also like bullies, formed around lies and exaggerations. And gossip can affect how you present yourself and who you hang out with. Judgement is based on the groups you identify with. For example: if you hang out with the smart people, people are automatically going to think that you’re smart.
But what is bullying? A lot of teens my age, around 16 years-old, have a good idea of what bullying is because they see it every day. It’s tough to define but is known when it’s observed or experienced. Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares another person on purpose while the person being bullied has a hard time defending themself. Doing so is not common because defending oneself up can be taken as offensive or as an attack to others. Of course, teachers discourage bullying and fighting, and it’s made very clear for every student the consequences to those actions.
But, usually, I see bullying happening over and over. In some well-known cases, the bullying can lead to resentment and tragically, to school shootings throughout the country.
But, that’s life. You get judged by your looks and your friends. I like to think I am not the type to stereotype or to be in a gossip group.