October is National Bullying Prevention Month. We hear a lot about bullying when there is another suicide -- and there are many suicides. Each year in the U.S., approximately 2 million U.S. adolescents attempt suicide, and almost 700,000 receive medical attention for their attempt. For young people 15-24 years old, suicide is the second leading cause of death.
Bullying contributes to much of that. I know. I wanted to die because I was bullied. Thankfully I'm fine now, but I have thought long and hard about what would have helped me, and it was simple: #BeBrave
If just one person had decided to #BeBrave and stand up for me, and stand up to my bullies when I was too weak to do so, it would have changed my world.
Most bullies will back down when confronted. If one person had said, "Hey, stop tweeting at her, quit being mean, stop spitting on her, LEAVE HER ALONE! YOU ARE A BULLY!" Perhaps things would have ended and I would not have lost 18 months of my life fighting back against depression.
That's it. It's that simple and that hard. To end bullying, all you have to do is be brave enough to stand up for someone who needs a champion. Stand up and tell someone, "Hey, that's not cool, cut it out," or to come over and say "Sorry, that was really mean," when they witness bullying. Being brave is getting help from a teacher, a cop, a parent -- anyone to see what's going on and help it to stop. If you let people know bullying isn't acceptable to you, and will not be tolerated around you, then it won't happen. Bullying will end.
We can end bullying. All we have to do is to stand up and Be Brave.
Do you think you can #BeBrave and help stop bullying? Will you stand up?
Originally posted on Ally's blog, LoserGurl.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.