Dear future president,

“...Seems like each school has an arsenal of names

And if a kid breaks in a school

And no one around chooses to hear

Do they make a sound?

Are they just background noise

Of a soundtrack stuck on repeat…”

-Shane Koyzcan

Approximately 160,000 children a day stay home from school because they are afraid of being bullied.(US Dept of Education.) That's over 3 million students a month. Parents send their children to school ranging from 175-180 days a year. They entrust their children's safety to the school. Yes, we have many safety procedures to protect us from natural disasters but what about emotional disasters? About 4,400 people under the age of 24 commit suicide each year due to bullying.(“Get The Facts.”) How much more loss do we have to go through until a difference is made?

Think of it this way, your child is in school,they're getting bad grades. They're terrified to go to school because of all the names that they get called on a regular basis and that makes it hard for them to keep up their work. I am a 17 year old girl with lots of experience with bullying and I know that myself image won’t be high and I will never truly love myself. This could happen to you, your children, or even someone close to your family. I believe that you, as the future president, should make the difference and make schools across the world feel safe again. There are several ways to do this but my favorite way is making a law against bullying in schools that isn’t just another slap on his or her hand. Make them serve time or do community service.

This subject should matter to almost everyone because no one wants to feel not good enough, no one wants to lose a family member or a close friend because some person wanted a giggle that lasted under 60 seconds. Change is needed for a better society. We live in a world where people think bullying isn’t a big deal. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Wrong. If you haven’t been bullied you probably don’t know that many teens sit and ponder those words.

You have the power to make bullying decrease significantly. Make all schools have an anti-bully group. Make elementary teachers teach students about why it’s wrong to bull others. There is always a way.

Best regards,

Gabrielle Collins