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The Perfectly Lovable

An Awareness to Bullying

By Mary McMichaelPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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As freshman year approaches

The teenager at age fifteen is in skinny jeans, a tight fitted shirt, and worn out Nikes

Her favorite class is filled with sweat and teacher coaches

Never would she imagine going back to the place she thought she put in the past

With nightmares, holidays, and tear-soaked bed sheets

She would soon find that this "wonderful life" would come to a stop, and fast

As the clown frowns

Is your child enjoying school halls

As she went to school, even the memory she drowns

Ignoring the concerned, crying calls

The band room was the worst

Instead of a human being, she became a voodoo doll

It's as if anything that had happened followed her in a curse

Their mocking laughter

Caused a boiling anger

What were they really after

Did they even know the danger

Her silent cries were a sign of wrath

Anyone could have missed it; even a stranger

The teenager currently still fifteen feels insecure about tight shirts and skinny jeans

Sometimes she wears a t-shirt with gym shorts

Would she have ever changed if she had the means

Though you might find her in short shorts on volleyball courts

Her skin over and over she cleans

Never feeling good enough

Their laughter of mockery

Was just a bluff

As if a note passed wasn't enough

They made fun of it as if they were tough

Nonetheless, she came out stronger

Now as an adult

Somedays you see her wearing t-shirts and gym shorts

You'd never guess she was bullied about an assault

While other days she wears a flannel with jeans or a dress with boots

Nowadays one small look could send her running to change

But even from her head to her foot

Even though broken; she's perfectly loveable

Types of Bullying and Life Long Impacts

I wrote this poem during a time when I just couldn't let this part of my past go. However, my experience isn't something we're going to go over; even though, bits and pieces of it are in the poem. With that said I'm going to bring light to the types of bullying and the life-long implications it can have.

There are four types of bullying; physical, verbal, social, and cyber. Physical bullying not only deals with bodily harm but includes valuable possession being destroyed as well. Verbal bullying is the use of words to break the victim down. Social bullying is the means of ruining the reputation and/or the relationship ties with said victim. Cyber bullying is the use of technology to target the victim; this includes: stalking, harassment, and using any information against him/her to gain means of control.

Bullies bully as a form to utilize control, power, and a sort of dominance over the bullied. The reason bullies are down-right mean through their bullying is because they feel inadequate, inferior, and jealous of what the targeted victim has and/or their power of control through subjects in which they've mastered (Such as getting a raise within their career, having the creative ability and using it to its full potential, etc.....). As you can tell there are many factors as to why bullying is a dangerous behavior; whether it be within the work place or in school.

Being a bully can have four potential life-long implications:

  1. The bully/bullied can be driven to a point of suicide.
  2. The bully is more likely to later have been involved in some sort of assault/violence.
  3. The bully is at higher risk to face incarceration.
  4. The bullied (if chosen to do so), can go from victim status to survivor/thriver through receiving therapy.

There is hope.

There is hope to recovering/healing the wounds of being a victim of bullying. The ways in which an individual can be involved to bring awareness are; making a focus group with fellow students, talk with schools about policy, listen when a fellow student comes with a concern, and make sure to know resources as both the bully and the bullied will need them. There are also hotlines in which the bully/bullied can call if at any given time they need help; these numbers are available at the end of this article.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-873-8255

Crisis Text Line: 741-741

121help.me: 1-855-201-2121

(Note: This hotline only helps youth up to 18).

Trevor Project Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386

(Note: This hotline only helps the LGBTQ community).

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About the Creator

Mary McMichael

Hello, I'm Mary McMichael and I'm the founder of Survivors For Justice. I am in the process of writing my own book, getting my bachelor's in digital media, have a mind for creativity, and a big heart for people.

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