Between one and four students in the United States experience bullying at their school. Think about that. At this very moment, 25% of your classmates are dealing with the effects of bullying. That is a disquieting percentage. Out of 180 days of the school year, thousands of students fear attending school because of people who continuously intimidate them.

So now what? How does this epidemic get fixed? It’s important to first define what a bully is. Also, what can a person do to get help if they are being bullied? Here are some suggestions that can be used at any high school, including Cardinal Newman High School.

The term bullying generally falls into three categories: physical bullying, social bullying, and cyber-bullying. If a student is in a situation where someone is hitting, kicking or damaging their property, then they are being physically bullied. This type of bullying can lead to short-term damage or long-term damage later on in life.

Social bullying is one of the most common issues with teens. It can be very difficult to recognize the bully because a student may not know who has said what behind their back. Someone who harms a student’s reputation or spreads rumors or displays facial gestures at someone is socially bullying someone.

Cyber-bullying is bullying on any type of technology or social media. An abusive text, excluding others from a social chat or outrageous gossip on computers or smartphones also falls under the category of a cyber-bully.

There may be a time where a high school student may need advice on how to deal with a situation. Experts advise to not hesitate to ask for help. What can a high school student do to get help if they are the subject of a bully? Here are some tips.
You should never show a bully that you are scared of what they may do to you because it could possibly make your problem worse.
Stand up for yourself and don’t allow them to stop you from making the right decision.
If nothing seems to change, reach out to a guidance counselor or any adult that you feel comfortable talking with.

How can bullying come to an end within a high school setting?
Don’t watch a kid get bullied, step-up and comfort the victim during a study hall or even after school. Bystanders are just as bad as a bully.
Participate in your community and voice your opinion.

A guest speaker on bullying, Chris Colfer, for Cardinal Newman High School said, “ When people hurt you over and over think of them like sandpaper; They may scratch and hurt you a bit, but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless.”

Each and every day there are thousands of students who suffer health issues because of bullying. Added health issues include anxiety, sleep disorders, or eating disorders. One in 10 students stop going to school because of the fear of continuously being bullied. Over 100,000 students miss school every day to stay away from their bullies.
To learn more about how to deal with bullying, please visit http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/bullies.html.