Bullying.

This past week I've been reading a lot about the teen suicides in the US that were a result of bullying and I can't help but feel incredibly sad while thinking about what an incredibly cruel place the world can be.

Bullying is a huge issue not only in the US but in Australia too. The saddest thing about it is that not a lot is often done (or even said) about it. In many cases those being bullied feel completely helpless and even worse many find the only way out is suicide. The case that has made the biggest headline recently is that of Tyler Clementi, an 18 year old student at Rutgers University who was driven to suicide after he was outed as being homosexual by his roommate who secretly taped and streamed his sexual encounter with another male online. After reading about this I felt sickened and appalled. What sick and heartless human being does this to someone? What makes a bully feel justified in carrying out such a vicious attack on another individual? It is simply heartbreaking that an innocent was driven to take his own life because of the cruel and careless actions of another.

I've never shared this openly before, but when I was younger I was bullied. Growing up I have always been incredibly reserved and somewhat shy. This can make me seem socially awkward when I'm around people that I don't know all that well, when in truth once I get to know someone I can be incredibly outspoken - in fact my nickname from my family since I was 3 years old is 'chatterbox'. Sadly though coming across as quiet and socially awkward led to some people finding it justifiable to taunt and make fun of me - and just be plain horrible. The worst part was realising that my supposed best friend never stood up for me and actually found it "kind of funny". This same 'friend' actually ended up being a huge cause of misery for me as they were reflecting their own insecurities on me and constantly putting me down, making me feel like a complete 'loser' who had to prove myself. Needless to say my self-esteem took a massive hit, and even today I'm incredibly cautious about the people I surround myself with. While I never came out and spoke about my experience to anyone, including my family, I somehow made it through - perhaps it was the sheer determination of proving all those people wrong and the fact that I wanted (and still want) so much more in life. Unfortunately, many people aren't so lucky to come out the other side of being a victim of bullying, and I understand only too well how hard it is to talk about it and ask for help.

Whether the bullying be a result of sexual orientation, race, religion or some other factor, it is completely unacceptable and something needs to be done. For the moment it seems that raising awareness about the issues surrounding bullying in society, and offering support to those that may otherwise feel completely helpless and alone while experiencing bullying is a step in the right direction. The campaign supported by US talk show host Ellen Degeneres in conjunction with The Trevor Project is an example of a positive and much needed action against bullying (especially for LGBTQ youth).

I can only hope that the teen suicides that have plagued the media this past week shows other youths that they are not alone and that there is support out there even if all they feel is a complete sense of helplessness and despair.