Narrative Essay - Bullying

Perched on the edge of the George Washington Bridge, 212 feet above the Hudson River, Tyler Clementi, a newly enrolled freshman at Rutgers University, peered into the abyss that had been his life - and jumped. Though he never self-identified as gay (Foderaro), his roommate, Dharun Ravi, believed him to be. Using his computer, Ravi videotaped a sexual encounter between Tyler and a male lover. He then posted it online, subjecting Tyler to public scrutiny. On that fateful night, September 22, 2010, Tyler jumped to his death, after posting on Facebook that he was sorry he would be committing suicide. Just by posting one video of Tyler, Ravi embarassed and harassed Tyler to the extent that he killed himself. Ravi's behavior is an act of bullying, and bullying should be considered reprehensible. Because of his actions, Ravi is revered as a hero by those who are anti-gay, just as the kid who learns bullying from his parents, who gets a haughty feeling when he shoves a peer into a locker, or who discriminates against gays is viewed  as "cool." Bullying is a behavior, an addiction, and a disease. Bullying is any verbal, physical, or psychological act meant to intentionally "hurt another person" (Davis). When bullying is tolerated, it cannot be extinguished.
Bullying is a learned mechanism to cope. Children and teenagers are more likely to bully themselves if their parents bully them (Stan). Children who grow up in homes with parents who do not show their child affection and support are also more likely to bully (Stan), just as if kids who are raised in homes with substance abuse are more likely to be abusers themselves. Parents are proud of their kids when they copy their behaviors; "Gee, Junior is growing up to be just like me!" It's because of ignorance that parents view bullying behaviors as positives and not negatives. We can reason that if today's parents raise bullies, they create a never-ending cycle, and these bullies will raise bullies of their own. Because bullying is "kosher" in these households, it becomes unstoppable outside of the household.
Bullying is a drug. Research has proven that drugs contain chemicals that are addictive (Volkow). Once someone starts to use drugs, they become dependent on that drug. It gives them a "high" feeling, the same feeling that bullies get when they bully someone (Bisenius). There is the exception that you can break your habit, but quitting never actually eliminates your addiction. "Once it's there, it's there," says Ann Graybiel, the Walter A. Rosenblith professor of neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. "It really will never leave." (Ravn). The one way to quit is to actually try to quit (Ravn). But what bully would want to be "drug-free?" Most everyone wants to be popular, and it's accessable in different ways. Partying is viewed as the norm – bullying is its cousin. When bullying is the popular thing to do, it cannot be terminated.
Bullying is a manifestation of homophobia. When homophobia is permitted, and even glorified, bullying increases. Some religions denounce homosexuality, saying it is "sin." We need to remember that homosexuality is not the only sin we know of; how am I, a person who does not follow any religion, supposed to believe that homosexuality is more of a "sin" than pre-marital sex, or killing another human being? (Tran). Many religious people claim that by refuting, essentially bullying, homosexuals, they cleanse them of their sins. However, many of the quotes from Paul Vole from the Christian Coalition of Maine do not "cleanse"- they discriminate. "Gays choose to get AIDS," or "Gays rape children," are lies that spread homophobia (Shepard). Even if someone doesn't believe in homosexuality, that gives them no right to bully that person. Just because you're a Republican, and I'm a Democrat, we may not agree on everything, but I'm certainly not going to denounce you for being of different political beliefs (Tran). And when people agree with Paul Vole's statements, they are prime examples that bullying and harassment is acceptable because Paul Vole, and everyone ostricizing gays, becomes an idol. When people agree with discrimination, they add another brick to the wall that bullying has built.
Asher Brown, Billy Lucas, Justin Aaberg, Seth Walsh, and Tyler Clementi. What do these boys all have in common? They were all bullied because of their sexual orientation, or what the bullies perceived their said orientation was (Burns). I say they were bullied because they aren't being bullied anymore; another thing these boys have in common is that they are all dead (Burns). These boys all took their lives after being incessantly harassed for many years; they felt death was their only escape. None of these boys were over the age of 19-years-old.
All of those names represented chances. Chances to be classmates, chances to be husbands, chances to change the world. Now, thanks to bullying, these chances are gone, never to be replaced. It is only when bullying is not accepted that bullying can be prevented.