This isn't a story.. This is more of a speech I want to present but I need the help to get it around. I'm 16 from Australia. There aren't a lot of kids that step up like this I'm told. So if I could present this somewhere to an audience of my own age or older or younger. Maybe they will listen more cause it's unexpected coming from a grade 11 student. Bullying needs to stop. Please read the following and give some feedback on changes or what I could include. Would be much appreciated. Also if you could share this story around, I would be most grateful. Thank you. Please enjoy. To all the bullies out there; why do you do it? Every person who harasses or bullies other kids that sit with us right now. Ask yourself these: does it make you happy that you abuse that kid who has already a lot on his mind? You never once asked him why he doesn't talk to people, did you? Did you ever consider that it was a little more serious than a school issue, rather it being at home? -what if he goes home to an abusive father and no mother? -what if he goes home to his parents fighting constantly? -what if he has to walk several kilometres to and from school every day whether is raining or not because mum and dad are always working to pay those bills that just keep stacking up? -what if his mother or father have a cancer that can't be treated? -what if his father left and his mum has to sell herself to strange different men every day just to keep them alive? -what if he can't concentrate on his school work because he thinks about all of them other possibilities so he starts to fall behind and gets frustrated and confused and just gives up? Or maybe what if it was you that was making him upset with himself because you abuse/bully/pick on him? You wouldn't know.. Would you? You wouldn't know any of that. Why? Because you never asked him why he's so quiet, why he looks so sad, why he can't look anyone in the eye. You never got to know him. You never even asked him if he was okay! You just went straight for the name-calling and picking on - that judgemental mode in your head that picks up on every little detail that isn't up to your own standards. For what? Why did you harass him every day or second or third day? You ask and answer that yourself. It's not nice being the victim. If you were them think how they would be feeling! I bet you have been laughed at for saying a completely wrong answer in maths one day he would be feeling that exact feeling but worse. A whole lot worse. You're also making him look like that in front of everyone else. He's defenceless. Bullying doesn't make you cool, or even just picking up on something wrong with them and getting everyone to laugh. It doesn't make you cool. So just stop. Please, for the life of the good kids that are being picked on. Stop. You can go a little further than just stopping and starting to care. I guarantee it's a lot more cool. Ask that lonely person if they're okay. You could be saving a life just by caring about that person and that feeling is so much better than being the one doing the harm. Give it a go! thank you, I hope you enjoyed. Dylan O'Connell