Hi there! My name is Mikaela and I have a few things to say about bullying. Even though I haven't been bullied very seriously, I've had my fair share of name-calling and pushing. 

  But I do know that bullying is a problem.

  People act like they're doing so much to prevent bullying by not being a bully. Now, that is great and all but it isn't solving the problem. People need to take action about bullying. Bulling is a problem and everybody who bullies, gets bullied, or is just a bystander, is the solution. It takes terrible things like suicide or attempted suicide for people to even realize how big of a problem bullying is.  People wait until it's too late to take some action. 

  To those being bullied: Stay in there. I know that it is hard, and it may be for a while, but I promise you, one day you will get through it. Do everything you can to take charge of the situation. Stand up for yourself. Tell someone close to you so they can help you cope, or help you take action. There are things you can do like call a bullying hotline to help. Write down your feelings, or tell them to someone. Try to find things to keep your mind off of it or to help you cope with it better. 

  To bystanders: You actually do have power in these situations! If you see someone getting bullied, try to be their friend and make them feel better. Or better yet, help them stand up to the bully/bullies. Tell an adult or tell the victims parent! Help as much as you can! And if possible talk to the bully and try to get them to stop doing the bullying. But if you know that doing so will put you in harms way, try doing another one of the things I listed above!

  TO THE BULLIES: Think about what you're doing! Think about the consequences that your words and actions may cause. If you have bullied someone, think about what you did to them. Would you like it if they did the same thing to you? Absolutely not! If the tables turned and you were the one getting bullied, I doubt you would even consider bullying another person. Your harmful words and actions can have very serious effects on people. Think about what you're doing. Really think about it. You may be causing someone to harm themselves or even think about ending their lives! Is that what you want? If you bullied someone to that extent, would you really want to cary that guilt with you the rest of your life? Think about it.

  Bullying is a problem. And you are the solution.