9781422288290

Chapter Two

What Makes Bullying Dangerous?

N o one wants to be bullied. Being teased, kicked, or left out of a group of friends isn’t fun. Young people who are bullied often dread going to school. All they can think about is how much they’re going to be bullied when they get there. Certainly bullying is unpleasant, but it can also be dangerous. Bullying has real and serious consequences in school. MISSING SCHOOL If you were getting bullied just about every day at school, you probably wouldn’t enjoy going to school much anymore. You might tell your parents you were sick a lot so you could stay home. Or you might actually feel sick because of all the stress bullies cause you. You might even start skip- ping school. That’s exactly what lots of bullied young people end up doing. Instead of going to school and getting picked on, they avoid the problem. If they’re not at school, the bully can’t get to them.

19