by Sam O’Brient, Class of ’13
As a high school student in a small private school, I sometimes forget about how awful bullying is. I was reminded of it all too clearly when I heard the story of college student Tyler Clementi, a freshmen at Rutgers University, who was filmed having a sexual encounter which was then broadcasted over the Internet. When Clementi discovered the awful truth, he ended his life. Clementi’s story is tragic, and his message is clear: bullying of every kind needs to end.
We wanted to know how bullying affects students in high schools in our area, and initiated some conversations about this. A student at Pittsfield High School told us: “It’s not unusual to see someone pushed into a locker when you walk through the halls of PHS. Some students are prone to verbal abuse too.”
In nearby Dalton, things seem to be a little better. Wahconah Regional High School junior Victoria Ware, 16, stated: “It isn’t a major problem in our school, but like everywhere else, it happens occasionally. Usually, it happens to people not fitting into a certain clique and being made fun of because of it. But for the most part, students at Wahconah are pretty accepting.”
In South County, it’s more complicated. Mt. Everett junior Gabriella Makuc, 16, told us: “There are a few kids who just get picked on by everyone and that’s really bad. But it also depends on what grade you’re in. I don’t see seniors beating up on freshmen or anything like that. It just does not happen. But in a smaller grade, like the one below mine, people are more straightforward. I wouldn’t say it’s as much bullying, as it is people being honest about their feelings toward each other. But that can come off as negative, which translates into bullying. I don’t feel like bullying is the biggest problem at my school, but there are a few targets who are just not popular and get picked on. However, there are many other people who think bullying is wrong and they will always stand up for those being picked on.”
Sophomore Stephan Zdiarsky had this to add: “Bullying is biggest in elementary and middle school. It was starts with verbal assaults, but now that we are older, I think the whole grudge thing is big. And it still occurs regularly on the Internet. It happens so much, it’s kind of second nature – unless it happens to you.”
Real bullying in a school like GBWHS is rare, and we like it that way. Still, we all need to be constantly diligent. All over the country, parents, teachers, and administrators are working in many ways to stop bullying, but ultimately it’s up to the students themselves to decide that they’ll have nothing to do with any form of social exclusion in their lives.