Bullying now a serious issue.

After the cyber bully sparked suicides of Megan Meier and Phoebe Prince, it seems that the media and schools alike are finally starting to take harassment seriously, or it’s at least being recognized as it should.

Yahoo recently reported on a study about why certain kids are picked on, and Phoebe Prince’s suicide resulted in a call for the school administration’s resignation.

I’d like to conclude that technology is the reason why so everyone is more aware of teasing and harassment. As someone who was relentlessly bullied in junior high, I know that schools have been known to take a blind eye to bullying, and I never appreciated such apathy. Though I was harassed via AOL Instant Messenger in 8th grade, I am old and privileged enough to have basically missed the age of cyber bullying, which is pervasive for today’s junior high and high school students.

Cyber bullying has shown adults that teasing is a serious issue. With cyber harassment, bullies are now able to menace their victims 24/7. Students cannot go home and feel relieved to be away from their tormentors. There’s no longer a safe haven for the bullied, so of course they’re going to turn to suicide and other drastic measures.

I’m hoping that this semi-new phenomenon will influence school officials to enforce harsher punishment on mean kids. These harassers have been getting away with this unacceptable behavior for far too long, and they’ve destroyed self esteems, lives, and futures for the innocent. It’s time that they finally learn that mistreating others is not okay and will not be tolerated.