TIME To Stop Bullying

It has been estimated that a child is bullied every seven seconds.

Debra Sanders Clark, Inspiring Author and Presenter, is launching an anti-bullying campaign to address the issues of bullying. Bullying is presently one of the biggest fears school-aged children face today. In fact, over 3 million school-age children are bullied each day, and approximately 160,000 students miss school daily in fear of being bullied. The National Crime Prevention Council reports that over 80 percent of youth perceived bullying to be funny, while others don’t think it’s a big deal at all.

The purpose of this campaign is to decrease bullying activities by helping bullies understand how it feels to be bullied and the consequences of their actions.

Clark knows firsthand what it feels like to be teased, put down, treated unfairly, talked about, purposely excluded or the last one to be chosen to participate in activities. Bullying is no fun and games, and by no means is it funny. The effects of bullying can be detrimental and long-lasting.

Bullying among school-age children is nothing new, but the issue of bullying at school is getting more media attention today. Bullying nowadays is much different. Over the past decade, it has become more prevalent in schools and is much more problematic now than then. Technology has made it easier for students to carry out bullying activities online. Playground teasing, pushing and shoving has been replaced with public humiliation online and other media outlets. When the pain and embarrassment are too much to bear, students may resort to self-harm or take matters into their own hands, rather than seek help.

It can happen to anyone. Be it through text messages, picture messages, social media or public television, at some point in our lives, young or old, we are likely to become a victim of some form of bullying or unfair treatment.

There’s an old proverb that says, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” What does that mean? It means we must maintain a positive attitude during times of misfortunes. This phrase motivates us to focus on the good even in tough situations. Lemons are sour, right? Well, with lemons, we can add a bit of sugar and make some simply delicious lemonade.

Life has much more to offer than our woes. Therefore, we must learn to take the negative that life throws at us and create something positive. This quote is much easier said than done and it takes practice to develop perfection.

Remember, the bully is hurting too. This issue calls for national attention and other people to help. One person may not resolve much, but together we can achieve greatness. Let us join together and stand firmly against bullying.

If you are in danger, been threatened or physically harmed, notify authorities or call 911 immediately. If you are NOT in immediate danger, but having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). You may also call the National Talk Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Help is available for both the bully and the victim. The “Time to Stop Bullying” app is a comprehensive education portal to link students, parents, and teachers to available resources.

Download the free “Time to Stop Bullying” app and help spread the word through text, email, Facebook, Snap Chat, Instagram and all other media platforms. Whether you are young or old, male or female, a bully or the victim, we can unite to bring about change.

Together we can overcome bullying.