Lunch break had just started and instantly the playground was filled with kids. Normally at lunch I enjoyed hanging out with my friends or playing a game of tag but this recess I wondered over to the covered area where some 4th graders were pushing a 3rd grader around. I was concerned but maybe it wasn't anything big. I decided to leave it alone. As I was walking away I heard someone shouting. It was the 3rd grader. He looked mad. He was standing firmly looking at one of the big 4th graders and he tried to fight back. He started aiming punches at them, then they kicked him in the leg and jumped on him. I was about to go and help him but it didn't feel like it was right. I continued watching like it was a tv show just watching helplessly as the 3rd grader was being knocked around. I thought I had seen enough and went off to do something else but I had made a mistake.
Still now I feel bad about what I did. I could have easily stopped it. I had so many options at the time: tell a teacher, go and tell them to stop or do nothing. I had known the third grader vaguely and I wasn't very fond of him but what I did was worse then bullying. I was watching it happen. I know what it feels like to have no one stand up for you. Like no one cares. I also know what it feels like to be stood up for. It means you have a friend who's willing to pay the consequences for you. They might also be picked on but it's always a nice thing to do for someone. The 3rd grade kid must have felt like no one cared about him or maybe they wanted him to get hurt. I know I should have acted but I can't change the past. Whenever I think about him I think about everyone in the world who has been affected by conflict in some way. Ruby Bridges an African American girl was the first to go to a white school, she was the only one in her class because of her skin colour. All the other kids in the other class were mean to her and made her feel bad but she accepted it and moved on. She reminds me of the 3rd grader. He fought back but once it was over he forgot about it and left it alone.
If I could have changed thing now I would have stopped them and told them no. There is no good reason to bully someone. If you don't like how they look then that's your problem. If they are smarter then you that's your problem. I would have gone right up to them ask what the situation was and told them to stop and apologize. I would have told the 3rd grader to ignore them and enjoy the rest of his break. And I would have told the 4th graders to leave him alone and think about doing something nice back to the victim.
I have experienced conflict being bullied when I was little. Some kids took my hat and didn't give it back. Once I threatened to call the teacher they gave it back and I forgot all about it. Forgive and forget are the best things to do after being bullied. In the end the bullies are the ones being affected. One has to question why are they bullying? I heard later that year, one of the fourth grade bullies received a call from the 3rd graders parents and he was scared. He left alone the 3rd grader. My experience being an eye witness to bullying was not something I would like to see again.
The two goals that I have for the year are too stop the conflict between people at my school and give out some good examples of a friend. I will achieve these goals by stopping bullying with peace and respect and standing up for people who are having problems with bullies. If I see someone being bullied in the future I will take action and say stop. I hope that my message has clearly been sent out and people reading this will take action and help.
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