According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, “One out of every four students (22%) report being bullied during the school year.” Bullying by definition means, a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. High school students often look at other views of them and base their judgement of themselves off of what they hear. Bullying is a common issue that often leads to lasting harm.

     October is the official month for National Bullying Prevention. PACER, a national bullying prevention center, originally started the movement in 2006. October is used as a time to bring awareness to bullying and bullying prevention by informing people through events and outreach. PACER also sponsors a day every year called Unity Day. For 2015 the date for Unity day was Wednesday, October 21. “That’s the day everyone can come together—in schools, communities, and online — and send one large orange message of support, hope, and unity to show that we are united against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion,” said PACER about Unity Day.

     Reasons that people usually bully include: cultural causes, institutional causes, social issues, family issues, personal history and power hungry. These reasons are far from being okay. Many bullies bully to shelter their own feelings and make others hurt like they are hurting. Bullying can be related to a person’s home-life as well. Many bullies take their aggression from the problems at home and take it out on the on who they are around the most. Bullies also can be influenced by their parent’s behavior. Some parents are abusive, both physically and mentally towards their children, which has a negative influence on that child.

     Bullying commonly leads to suicide. “Suicide is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide; suicide is the 4th leading cause of death for those 15-44 years old worldwide,” stated The World Health Organization. Many adolescents do not see that bullying can be put to an end and suicide is not the answer.

     There are many forms of bullying. There is physical, verbal,  harassment, and cyberbullying. There are warning signs of the bullying a child may be facing. The most common indications of bullying is, “children may withdraw, become moody, or show a change in appetite. They may tell you something hurtful that someone said about them and ask you if you think it’s true,” according to Parents Magazine.

          “Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood,” stated stopbullying.gov. Bullying throughout the beginning stages of life often carries over into adulthood. Bullying has a lasting effect and often leaves people stuck in a time of their life that they wish to move on from. A research project conducted by Lisa S. Dulli from the University of North Carolina concluded that, “Adolescent bullying has emerged as a serious public health problem over the past few decades. Both bullies and their victims demonstrate adverse health-related outcomes to a greater degree than those adolescents who are not involved in bullying.”

     Bullying is 100% preventable. There are ways of stopping a bully as well as stopping the physical, emotional and mental harm that bullying may cause. There are hotlines to help with bullying situations such as, “Stop Bullying Now!” which is, “a resource website sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services that addresses the warning signs of bullying, how to talk about bullies, how to report bullies and cyber bullying and offers a 24-hour help hotline for victims at 1-800-273-TALK (8255),” said ABC News.