Words Can Mean More Than Actions

There is a famous adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"; this video shows that there is no greater untruth.  I selected this ad entitled "The Power Of Words" because it gives us a glimpse of the average child's reality. Statistics show that 1 in 6 children are bullied everyday; with negative words being thrown at them like grenades. This may not produce physical scars on the outside but can be mentally devastating.

The actions demonstrated in this ad are actually considered bullying in various parts of the world. Bullying has different effects on children; in extreme cases children have even taken their own lives through acts of suicide after being a victim of bullying.  In less extreme cases children feel excluded, rejected, inadequate and develop low self-esteem.  It has also been suggested by psychologists that bullying directed toward school children can be detrimental to their mental health and overall mental stability.  As a result of this, there is  zero tolerance policy for this type of behavior in many schools throughout the United States.

Actions are said to mean more than words, but words can be more harmful.  We would have a better community if school children were taught to build each other up with words instead of victimizing each other through bullying.