Kaelynn (last name withheld) tells of being physically, sexually abused and about the death of her mother. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, she started stuttering. Classmates called her methhead, orphan, worthless, a mistake, faker and retard.
She said, “I was hated for being myself, and I began to hate myself.”
None of Kaelynn’s classmates had any idea what she had been through. She attempted suicide in fifth grade. Her attempt failed, and today she is speaking out against bullies.
October is designated as Bully Prevention Month. Bullying is nothing new, but it seems as though it has been taken to a whole new level. Has our culture become a place where anything goes? It clearly is not just young people who are participating in mean acts; adults are as well. What has happened to human decency and treating each other with respect even when we disagree?
The dictionary defines a bully as someone who is quarrelsome, overbearing, who habitually badgers and intimidates.