Laserfiche WebLink
Excerpts from 2005 Human Rights Commission's Essays <br />Student Stories of Bullying and Discrimination <br />Sullying <br />A girl my age's pazents had just gotten a divorce and ever since the incident their family <br />had been pretty low on money, not being able to pay for new clothes or a splurge to the <br />ma11's food court Iike mar�y of the other kids in our class arc able to do. So one day as she <br />was witnessed to have worn out shoes and ragged clotbing, som� boys in her class begar� <br />calling her poor and clirty. <br />I was waiting for the bus to arrive...I went over and joined in a conversation wilh Jennifer <br />when this other girl came over...Jennifer got mad because she didn't like her I guess...The <br />girl said sk�e can talk to whoever she wants and said tl�at her volleyball team wins most of <br />their games a�,d stuff. Jennifer got really mad at this and started making fun of bow fat s�e <br />was and how bad at volleyball she was, because she was not on the A team like Jennifer <br />was. She also said stuff like the only reason they win is because she is so fat and every <br />step she takes the other team falls over. <br />There is a girl ai my school who mosi people would consider obese. Kids in my school are <br />always cracking jokes aboui her lake "Follow the herd. She is the herd." <br />I have nevcr gone through a school day without witnessing some sort of bias toward a <br />fellow student, ncver. Whether it is name-calling, physical bullying, or teasing, I see it <br />every day. Maybe it's a friend, sornebody I know, or sozneone I've never seen befoze, <br />maybe it is even myself; I am constantly secing this unfairness toward others. I dan't <br />understand how people can think it is cool to do such things. What znakes people so <br />malicious`? �ven I have been made fun of at sch.00l. It can be anytlung frozx� being called a <br />weakling to a nerd. Why people always need #o pick on someone; I don' know. People <br />can go from being your friend one minute to being your enenay the next. It seems to <br />depend on whom that person is hanging out with,- Some of my friends will alI of a sudden <br />change their �ersonality wh�n fihey are around a certain person. Kids shouIdn't need to go <br />through so much torment at school. <br />Discrirnination is really just treating someone badly because they are different from you in <br />some way. If you look at discrimination ihis way many of us have expericnced being <br />discriminated. You could be teased because of the shirt you have on, the glasses you have <br />to wear or thc braces on your teeth. You could have been fun of because you are tao shart, <br />too tall, too heavy or too skinny. Discrimination can include heing teased for not being <br />smart enough, being too smart or a geek. There are too many ways people can bc <br />discriminated ta list liere. <br />Kids who fecl they have more power pick on others daily. A kid may be too short, too tall, <br />too sldnny, or too fat and even if they are a kind, funny, loving person., they are picked on. <br />Whether it's someonc callitlg them naanes or pushing them around in khe hallway. <br />