Is bullying a real issue in the US?

[Poppy]

I see these movies and read these books where 'jocks' apparently trip non-popular kids in the hallways and beat them up and do other nasty things to them, but I just can't fathom that people would actually be that dumb...and that nobody's helping those poor kids? What about teachers? Is bullying really that big of an issue there?

[Hides-His-Heart]

No it's not, people need to learn how to fight their own battles.

[popstam]

it is real. ive never seen it personally but have heard horrible stories about what happened to people in other schools.

[Anna]

It varies school to school, and some movies obviously exaggerate the intensity but bullying really is a problem and I've seen it in person many times. Pantsing, tripping, pushing, name calling, punching. It's all real and very much a problem. Not all americans are terrible but they surely can be. It only takes a small percentage to cause a problem. Teachers usually do not see or are in on it. Because of the no child left behind law there's not much to do to stop it.

[Alexis]

it kinda is an issue, but then again kids will always be kids and mess with eachother. it just makes me so upset that Presidents and politicians say stop bullying eachother to kids, but then use that tactic to win campaigns. && isnt ur queen a tyrant? she told her son to kill prince williams mom so she could stay queen.. now thats major bullying.

[Dani]

The movies and books exaggerate a ton about American High School. It does vary from school to school, but bullying does happen. At least at my school, we don't really have "jocks". I've never noticed anyone tripping others in an attempt to be mean(friends trip each other for fun).
It really just depends on the school.

[Anna]

well, in TV and books etc. they sometimes portray things not as they really are. But in some cases they are right, but there are a bunch of people with anti-bully movements in the US now and it is an issue people are looking into and trying to stop.

[Steph]

Although movies and TV shows exaggerate most situations, it is becoming a pretty big issue here in the U.S. A lot of bullying goes on via Facebook, Twitter, etc. Because it's much easier for a bully to act big and bad over the internet rather then to someones face. I'm seeing so many sad and horrible stories on the news and the internet here lately about suicides of teens due to bullying. In a typical 12-month period, nearly 14 percent of American high school students seriously consider suicide; nearly 11 percent make plans about how they would end their lives; and 6.3 percent actually attempt suicide. It's sad. Just recently a 15 year old girl commited suicide in front of her classmates by jumping in front of a train. On her twitter after she commited suicide a boy posted "She deserved it she was a whore." I don't understand what goes on in peoples heads nowadays.

[Justin]

It's an issue. I get jumped by Mexicans after school