"Statistics show that 23 percent of students in grades 4-6 had been bullied "several times" or more; 20 percent had bullied others (1998 study of 6,500 students in rural South Carolina).  Statistics show that 17 percent of students in grades 6-10 reported having been bullied "sometimes" or more, with 8 percent being bullied once a week. 19 percent said they had been a bully to others "sometimes" or more. (2001 study of 15,000 U.S. students) ( Hazelden Foundation, 2010)."  These are statistics from the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, but keep in mind that the actual amount of students being bullied and bullying are probably much higher because so many cases go unnoticed.

Maybe it is just me, but it seems as though bullying is becoming a much larger problem than it was when I was in grade school.  Just in the past month, there have been 6 suicides (that are known of) that happened as a direct result of gay bullying.  Who knows how many happened because of just bullying in general! (***Please keep in mind that I do realize gay bullying can happen even if the victim is not actually gay. I don't want any misconceptions there.***)  Two of the suicides out of the 6 happened just in our own state of Indiana.  This is becoming a big problem.  I remember attending at least one presentation while in elementary school about not bullying others, but I'm wondering if children aren't getting things like that these days because of school budget cuts.  Surely we can come up with a program like this to do for schools on a volunteer basis!  This is important for Heaven's sake!  

Even if we don't have time to volunteer in or create an anti-bullying program, there are some things we can do to help diminish bullying at least a little bit (And even if it saves one child from getting bullied, it is worth it!).  ****---> First of all, in the area of gay bullying, just because you don't believe a gay lifestyle is the right thing to do, doesn't mean you have the right to make a person's life so miserable that the only way he or she can think of to make it stop is to end his or her life. <---****  The same point goes for any other kind of bullying.  Dear bullies, you have no right to make someone feel so horrible about his or herself that the only way out that they can see is to end his or her life.  When you hear or see someone bullying another person, say something!  Stand up for what's right! No matter how hard it may be, if you don't do it, there is a chance no one else will.  Then, what if that bully never stops, and the bullied child kills him or herself?  What a horrible thing for a child to have to feel.  Another thing we can do to help prevent bullying is to speak up when we hear someone use a racial slur or derogatory comment.  If you hear someone use the word "gay" when they really mean "bad" or "stupid," correct them and let them know that replacing the word "stupid" with "gay" is offensive.  More than likely they will be embarrassed and will think twice the next time.  The same goes for any racial slur.  If you hear someone use the "N" word or another rude, hurtful name for a person of a different race or religion, for Heaven's sake, tell them to cut it out!  

Okay, those are just some of my thoughts.  This is a very frightening problem we are having in the United States, and something has to be done about it.  For the sake of the children, do your part, please.

Reference:

Hazelden Foundation (2010). What is bullying? Retrieved from                
     http://www.olweus.org/public/bullying.page