Arguement Speech

Brianna Aitchison

Ms. McKoy

English 2-1^st Block

22 May 2013

Bullying: Should It Lead To Suicide?

Suicide is the act of killing oneself intentionally.  Everyday many teens and children commit suicide just to end the pain of going through bullying.  Imagine the pain of coming home to see a friend, family member, or anyone’s soul and colorless body hanging on a rope, lying on a floor from overdose, or even knowing they jumped off a bridge?  “What if the kid you bullied at school, grew up, and turned out to be the only surgeon who could save your life?”, once said Lynette Mather, the author of “Unspoken Secrets.”  This quote tells how if a person once bullied someone and the bullied victim was the only chance of their survival for the bully; would they help you in your time of need if you had hurt them in the past? In life everyone will have their most prized memories that can feel as it will last a lifetime! Also, in life everyone will go through pain that can be as sharp as a knife. Bullying can be one of those pains emotionally and physically.  Some people can be a victim of bullying and the pain can make them end their own lives.  Why should bullied victims have to face suicide as their only option?  I do not believe bullying has to lead to lead to suicide because being aware of what suicide symptoms may contain it can help the situation from occurring.  In addition, by having everyone aware of how bullying affects everyone witnessing, so it can decrease the bullying and suicide rates.  Therefore, knowing there are many ways to get help and prevent the problem from recurring.

Bullies can affect their victims in numerous ways.  In primary school victims, in response to bullying, can cry, have withdrawals from anything, and anger within them (Chisholm 24).  Once young teens reach middle and high school and are bullied, they can try and escape from the occurrences by being absent from school or running away (Chisholm 24).  Also, many of the victims can experience depression, low self-esteem, health problems, poor grades, and suicidal thoughts (Chisholm 26).  Once suicidal thoughts start to occur it can be defined as suicidal ideation which means one thoughts of considering or planning suicide.  An example of suicidal ideation is, “I am tired of life” and “I have occasional thoughts about suicide” (Kim & Leventhal 141).  After suicidal ideation starts to occur more often so can suicidal behavior such as self harm (Kim & Leventhal 141).  Being aware of someone with these conditions – help them and be supportive – so they do not become a statistic of bullycide.

Everyone that is not involved as a bully or victim can also be affected. Statistics compiled by the NSPCC Child Protection Awareness and Diversity Department found that a quarter of children are influenced when observing bullying and can have harmful lasting effects (Chisholm 26).  Some bystanders that observe bullying can feel unsafe, fearful, powerless to act, guilty for not standing up for the bullied victim and tempted to participate (Chisholm 27).  Having school prevention programs could eliminate these feelings and make the environment better.  Also, when a school does not take action in bullying scenes students may feel insecure, have difficulty learning, and gain a negative attitude towards learning (Chisholm 28).  Even as a bullying long term consequences are possible.  Some of these consequences being loneliness, trouble making friends, lack of success in school, and involvement outrageous behaviors (Ericson 5).  Why bother being a bully and making your own life go downhill?  Should making someone scared to be in your presence because of bullying be possible?  How about making a person commit suicide because of the pain bullying caused them?

While being a victim of bullying, there are tons of ways to receive help and prevent it from recurring!  Some ways to receive help is talking to a parent/guardian; teachers; guidance counselors; bringing the awareness to the bullies parents themselves and bringing awareness to the school and its district.  Once many people are aware of the bullying taking place, schools can implement bullying prevention programs.  Chisholm states on page twenty-eight of the article "Characteristics of Bullying, Victim Behaviour, “…regular school inspections of the Office for Standards in Education now incorporate the issue of whether a school has a bullying problem, and whether the school has taken measures to combat it, including a policy on bullying.”  Also, if bullying is found more aware in a state Barrett and Poland explain on page 127 how a legislative law could be made for the state to prevent bullying.  In addition, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program has helped developed methods of dealing with bullying on school, individual, classroom, and community components that has been successful in 42 schools around the world and has reduced bullying and bullies twenty to seventy percent (Donegan 39).  Once the idea of knowing bullying is occurring locally empathy can start to occur for the ones getting bullied and the bullies. While knowing the pain of each member taking place in bullying, it can make the implementing of prevention programs easier to enforce, making the solution of less bullying, and bullying rates.

Bullying has been a problem for numerous of years, but can be prevented.  Also, once bullying is prevented so is suicide because many people feel as if it is the fastest and easiest way to flee from the pain in their lives.  Taking each precaution of knowing there are ways to prevent bullying, suicide, and knowing how bullying can make a victim or witness feel will make the problem ten times easier to solve.  Being a witness, talk to someone if you know they are getting bullied.  Being a witness to bullying, help someone if you spot them getting bullied.  Make a difference in someone’s life. Be a hero that will show them everlasting support in helping them with the challenges they go through. Show someone the gold sidewalks and brightness of what their life has to the world.

 

Works Cited

Barrett, Delphene, and Scott Poland. "Preventing Bullying: A Key to Suicide Prevention." Alaska.gov. Kathleen M. Benson, 15 Apr. 2009. Web. 22 May 2013. <https://extranet.dhss.alaska.gov/sites/stopsuicide/Shared%20Documents/AAS%202010%20-%20American%20Association%20of%20Suicidology/AAS%202009%20Proceedings.pdf#page=127>.

Chisholm, Catherine. "Characteristics of Bullying, Victim Behaviour." Ox.ac.uk. Kira Rose, 2011. Web. 22 May 2013. <https://mcr.new.ox.ac.uk/journal/NewCollection2011.pdf#page=29>.

Donegan, Richard. "Bullying and Cyberbullying: History, Statistics, Law, Prevention and Analysis." Elon.edu. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 May 2013. <http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/academics/communications/research/vol3no1/EJSpring12_Full.pdf#page=33>.

Ericson, Nels. "Addressing the Problem of Juvenile Bullying." Ncjrs.gov. N.p., June 2001. Web. 22 May 2013. <http://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles1/ojjdp/fs200127.txt>.

Kim, Young S., MD, and Bennett Leventhal, MD. "Bullying and Suicide. A Review." Equalitytexas.org. Freund Publishing House Ltd, 17 Jan. 2008. Web. 22 May 2013. <http://equalitytexas.org/app_themes/images/site/10/pages/10/Bullying-Suicide.pdf>.