Bullying is NOT a Right of Passage

Although every topic we have covered has been depressing to say the least, for some reason bullying hits me the hardest and affects me the most. It may be the fact that it doesn't matter how wonderful the parents are, how wealthy the child is or how "good" the school is. There are no stipulations for being a bully or being bullied. It can happen to anyone...and has happened to many. I have seen it appear in many forms and at all grade levels. And the crazy thing, as we all now and discussed, is that more often than not it is pushed to the back burner and often thought of as normal or not a big enough deal. Yet...children have become suicidal or murderers due to bullying. Do we still think it's not a big deal? How are schools not jumping up and teaching their students about the effects of bullying? How are we not bringing in speakers or conducting discussions that tell the children the harsh but true effects of bullying? How are students still going "unheard" when they mention to anyone, whether peers, teachers, parents or administration, that they are being bullied? Children are not naturally evil and bullying is not a "right of passage". Bullying causes serious and life-affecting trauma, and in some cases leads to death(s).
Since I haven't been a teacher and do not know how hard it is to maintain a classroom and notice every problem, it will be my goal to, at least, take everything my students tell me seriously. I know that there will be times when the students are lying for whatever reason but I also know that some of those students who went to extreme measures to try to ease there pain were not believed or brushed to the side. I do not want to experience the death of a student knowing that I could have done something. It is our responsibility as teachers to nurture our students so that they can be successful learners. As a result it is then also our duty to assist our students in creating an atmosphere where this is possible. Since I will hopefully be working in middle school, a place where student emotions run high, I know that I will most likely be dealing with bullying situations on a regular basis. Thus, I am going to go to whatever measure I can, within my means and ability, in order to help my students understand the tragedies of bullying in hope of decreasing its occurence and maintaining the sanity of myself and my students.