While I was occasionally bullied at school, the moment bullying became real for me was when my daughter came home from kindergarten, never wanting to go back. It turned out a group of girls pushed her down and called her “shark tooth”–all because she had an extra top front tooth that was pointy. The tooth would eventually fall out as the actual front tooth grew in, but until then my daughter faced countless attacks from these girls.
My daughter was a fun, funny, and loveable child. She was always laughing and happy. But those girls planted seeds of doubt within her–seeds that bloomed into poor self-esteem and became noxious weeds that she would continue to fight all throughout her school years.
Bullying robs children of their innocence–of their right to be happy and free from fear and anxiety. And school should be one of the safest places outside of home. But almost all bullying occurs at school. This has to change. For our children–for all children.
Be strong. Be informed. Stop bullying.
Rebecca Carpenter, copy editor and author 