Bullying Has Become A Fact Of Life For Our Youth

Guest post by Gerald Norde Jr. with Carla Norde

 

 

 

 

 

Recent studies have shed light on the seriousness of bullying as a scourge among young people. Many adults see bullying as “just part of being a kid” and do not think it is a serious problem when it is.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that suicide is the third highest cause of death among young people in the United States and neighboring countries accounting for 4,400 deaths per year. More worrying is the fact that over 14 percent of high school students admit to contemplating suicide and about 7 percent admit to actually attempting it in the recent past. One of the biggest causal factors behind these worrisome figures is bullying. Youth are bullied for a variety of reasons, ranging from body size to sexuality and so much more. A recent study in the United Kingdom even found that half of all suicides in that part of the world among young people is as a result of bullying. This is extreme.

Bullying can also come in different forms. According to WebMD, it is easy to discover the presence of physical bullying, but other forms, like emotional and cyber bullying are not easy to determine and these youth may not get the help that they need. Girls, aged 10 to 14 are the most at risk of being bullied and represent the highest percentage of suicide victims.

The book, “Stand Up Against Bullying Like A Superhero” educates youth about the dangers of bullying. Oftentimes, children will emotionally bully another child through name calling without realizing the impact their actions will have on their peers. Since children look up to super heroes, this book may lead to less bullying by children who read it.

The bulk of the work to be done is with friends, relatives and parents of bullied youth. It is up to them to recognize the signs of bullying which includes depression, disinterest in school, and making unwholesome life choices.

Visit livingstorybooks.com to download free posters that encourage youth to be like heroes and stand up against bullying.