Battle the Bully by Brittany

Battle the Bully by Brittany - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

I'm here today to talk to you all about a topic that I hold close to my heart: Bullying. I know, you're sitting here thinking 'ugh, not another speech about bullying', but this is beyond important. My name is Brittany Zastoupil, I'm 17 years old, and I'm a senior in high school. For me, bullying has just been part of my life, and as a victim of bullying, I know just how tough it can be to deal with.
Bullying comes in multiple forms, and sometimes you may not even realize you're bullying someone until it's too late. Cyber-bullying is on of the most common forms of bullying that I have encountered. It's the most common, because the bully doesn't see your reaction. They hide behind their computer screen, or phone screen, and just spew hurtful comments. They don't think about what they've said, and that makes it easy for them. There are bystanders all over, even with cyber-bullying. You see that person just liking the comments, or re-tweeting the gossip--so you know that people are seeing it, but nobody steps in to stop it.
Everything you do online, is there forever. You can delete it, but it's never actually gone. The repercussions can be harsh, and deadly. According to the CDC, there are 4,400 suicides each year due to cyber-bullying. Online, if you tell an individual to commit suicide and they do, you can get a $25,000.00 fine and up to 10 years in jail. Is it really worth it?
Another form of bullying is physical. What would you do if you walked past a kid in the hall, and saw them get cornered? Most of us would keep walking. You don't know what the students family life is like, and getting to go to school could be the only way to escape. Battle the Bully. Stand up for each other. Don't let the fear of someone thinking you're awkward stop you from stepping in. Your actions could do much more than you think. Battle the Bully, and end the stigma that it's 'cool'! Bullying could have lifelong effects on someone. Is it worth it just so you could feel 'cool' for ten minutes? No!
If any of you have been bullied, or are currently being bullied, please stand up. Rise together to end this! Too many innocent adolescents have died because of bullying, and I don't want to hear about one from this school! Please, if you ever are feeling depressed and suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Thank you for listening! God Bless all of you, and may God give you the strength to stand up and Battle the Bully!