Bullying is a big issue in schools that isn’t protected enough. Many schools don’t protect their inferior students and this becomes a huge issue as hurtful individuals abuse that power. Many schools just have a “See something, say something” policy, but most students won’t take that seriously. Another big problem is self defense can be counted as an assault, or the bully inflicts more onto the student because they got punished but not enough. These problems continue to go unnoticed, and without consequences. When this occurs though, it causes a normality to this and allows other students to believe it’s okay. Especially when this happens near young, naive children who don’t see the issue.  

Bullying can leave harm on our community for a long period of time. Victims of bullying can have lasting effects such as lack of focus, anxiety, depression, and aggressive behavior. Due to these factors it can create a hostile community and many end their lives. Another huge issue which pops up more often today is cyberbullying. This can normally cause a large group to go against one or multiple people, which starts to involve the community as a whole. Another impact would be those who witness bullying; they can also be affected by it and may make them uncomfortable. Lastly, bullying can have a fear on communities and negatively affect individuals. What you can do to help is sign this petition, as well as write to your representative, explaining the issues with lenient bullying & cyber bullying policies, and get them to enforce stricter policies onto Loudoun County Public Schools.