Bullying seems to be a growing problem in schools. The increased use of cell phones and social media only intensifies the problem. Technology has made it easier for students to become bullies. When I use to think of bullying I imagined physically bigger kids picking on smaller ones, someone steeling another person’s lunch money, or putting a kid in the trash can or locker. Today, these are not the bullying scenes that I see. Exclusion is something I have seen more of recently in schools. In addition, I think that verbal bullying is growing in popularity more than physical bullying. I believe the best way to prevent bullying is to create an atmosphere at school and in the classroom that has a family feel. If everyone feels welcomed and loved, students will be more comfortable around all students. Bullying a can be triggered by age, social class, how one dresses, and many other reasons. Bullying is often not reported and I think that students should know the different between tattling and reporting so they are not afraid to get help for themselves or for others. Looking back at my time as a student through K-12 I can remember a few different scenarios when bullying took place. One case involved a special needs student who was in my class from kindergarten through senior year.
