A History Lesson by Letrys

A History Lesson by Letrys - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

The most important lesson I have learned was from one of my history teachers. The lesson I learned was that being a bystander to bullying or someone who just watches bullying take place and does nothing is just as much at fault as the bullies themselves. My perspective on this issue has been changed ever since. Because of her passionately spoken words I am now what is referred to as an upstander, someone who actively gets involved when they witness bullying of any kind. I have also given a lot of thought to its influence on my life personally and by getting involved it has taught me that no matter what the situation, if I try to do something about it I know that I’ll make a difference.
Aside from my own experiences with bullying which you would naturally assume would have taught me this lesson anyway. There have been several instances although small by comparison where I have since stepped in and made a difference. As someone who has been bullied, the natural reaction when you witness it happening to someone else is to pretend it isn’t so that the bullies don’t turn on you. From experience you know that no one is going to stand up for you either. After having stepped in since my teacher’s words I have found that it has liberated me to some degree from the bullying that I also received. I gave me a sense of empowerment that I would relinquish for anything.