A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine shared an article about an 11-year-old girl who committed suicide due to the bullying she faced from her peers. Her parents had alerted the school authorities, but they paid no heed to the parents’ appeal. As a result, this young girl ended her life despite her attempts to keep on living by focusing on what brought her joy: her art.
It breaks my heart that situations such as these still continue in our society today. It makes me wonder what can we do to change this ongoing culture of unkindness. During elementary school, our friends and peers define our sense of who we are and how our classmates treat us has an impact on how we see ourselves as well as our developing perception of the world. Words are a powerful weapon. They can be used to build one another up or tear each other down.
When I was bullied as a young girl, it impacted how I saw myself and it broke down my self-confidence. Many years later, I was able to become a confident young woman again in college when I faced my past and confronted the lies that I believed about myself.
So, what can we do when we see someone being bullied?
Be there for the person and help them make a stand. Let them know you support them and remind that that their life is worth living even though it doesn’t feel like it now. Alert school officials and keep following up until the school takes action. Most importantly, tell and show this person that they are loved and worth fighting for.
For those who are experiencing bullying and/or contemplating suicide, please have courage and tell someone you trust even if you are afraid to do so. You may feel that no one will understand what you are going through, but many have experienced bullying; you are not alone. You may feel like you are drowning in your pain, that it is suffocating you to the point where you think suicide is the only way to escape. I am here to tell you that there is hope even though you may not feel it now. Life does get better after elementary and high school. There are people who care about you and would be heartbroken if you were gone. Every life is precious, and God sees you as significant, accepts you for who you are, and sees you as a cherished piece of art. Your life is worth living; keep pressing forward!
Below are some helpful resources and the link to the article I mentioned earlier. If you want to learn more about bullying and its impact on people, you can read my blog post Bullying in Today’s Culture. Stay tuned for next month’s post where I’ll discuss depression and the impact it can have on a person’s life. If you have any questions, comments, or want to suggest topics you would like to see in my blog posts, either comment below or e-mail me at jaimee.pifer@rogers.com.