Have You Ever Been Bullied?

I was sad to read a story in the news today about two young girls who hung themselves in a suicide pack because they were allegedly bullied. This is so appalling because these two young girls did not see another option to help them get through this. Both of their parents felt they did everything possible to assist them and did not see any signs that they would take their lives.

When will bullying be taken seriously? I personally was bullied from third grade to six grade. I had a break during 7th and 8th grade because I was placed in a different school. It was the happiness years of my school life. But then I went to high school and met all the same people. To make a long story short, my bully hit me in the back of my head and it changed my life FOREVER. I have never been the same and it shaped how I deal with people and I do not allow people to get close to me because I do not trust motives or what they might do to me.

The young girls that hung themselves was said to be bullied on Facebook and through text messages. It made me realize that when I was going through this, at least once I left school, I had a break and could find solace at home, in my room, with my family. But nowadays, bullies continue contact 24 hours because of technology. I cannot image the humiliation I would get from online messages and text. It was more than enough in person each and every day.

My prayers go out to the families of these young girls and I am going to work and do what I can to stop bullying. I can no longer sit back and watch what happen to me, happen to others. I want to do my part. Something has to be done to stop this long history of kids bullying kids. I never knew what caused my bully to dislike me so much that she had to resort to violence, but I do not want other kids to have to feel how I felt and how I have to deal with the residual effects.




Damita Miller-Shanklin is the Founder and Publisher of Ujima Magazine and the Host of Ujima TV with Damita and Evelina.