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What Makes Bullying Dangerous?
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ended up in serious trouble. They were
convicted
of a crime before they were even twenty-four
years old!
Bullies are also more at risk of suicide. You might think it makes more sense that only bullied
people think about suicide. But bullies are often really unhappy and depressed, too; they just be-
have in a different way from the people they bully. Bullies can also be so unhappy that they com-
mit suicide. But suicide is
never
a good answer. Things will get better—but only if you stay alive to
see it happen.
BAD FOR THE WITNESS
You might think there are only two people involved in bullying—the bully and the person being
bullied. But witnesses to bullying are also involved. Bullying can even hurt the people who see it.
You might see someone being bullied. You would probably feel bad for her, especially if you
didn’t say or do anything to stop the bully. Witnesses can feel a lot of guilt for not stopping the bul-
lying. They get stressed out and worry about being the bully’s next target. If the bully knows you
saw what he did, it can be scary. Witnesses might not feel very safe at school, because they know
bullying exists and that they might be next.
Bullying hurts everyone involved—the bully, the victim, and even witnesses. Fortunately, a lot
of people and programs are trying to end bullying for good.
Is Bullying Really Just a Part of Growing Up?
When young people tell an adult they are being bullied, the adult might say, “Bullying is just a
part of growing up.” Throughout history, young people have had to deal with bullies as they grew
up. But that doesn’t mean that everyone has to! Imagine how much better the world would be if
we could stop bullying altogether. Young people shouldn’t be bullied just because that’s how it has
always been. People fighting against bullying know that and are trying to change it.