G&G
Lovely California
Wines
What People Say
Page 5
How do you feel about environmental issues?
Page 7
EGW
APRIL 23 AND 24, 2016
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
Editor’s Note: This is the second
of a multi-part series focused on
bullying. The first article explained
how bullying is defined and the
most common types of bullying.
Today, three youngsters share their
experiences with bullying and
how it has impacted them. Future
articles will focus on what parents
and school administration can do
to help alleviate bullying. To protect
their identities, the youngsters are
identified using pseudonyms.
Xena is a seventh grader, a spirited young woman with insights far
deeper than her 13 years would suggest. She likes to sing, ride horses
and spend time with her friends.
She is, however, tired — tired of being bullied.
Bullying is defined as unwanted
aggressive behavior among schoolaged children that involves a real
or perceived power imbalance. The
behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.
Both kids who are bullied and who
bully others may have serious, lasting problems.
There are three main types of
V V V
PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
bullying: verbal, social and physical. Xena and others say they have
witnessed or been victim of all three
at Emporia Middle School.
“I’ve seen a lot of people get bullied in my life,” Xena said. “I’ve been
bullied almost every year, except for
fourth and fifth grade. People hear
rumors from someone else and it
just goes on and they spread it. Rumors is usually how it starts. But it’s
gotten worse over the years.”
Recently, Xena had a bullying
situation that escalated to the point
where she felt physically unsafe.
There was verbal and physical aggression directed towards her and it
left her stunned and frightened, still
trembling when her mother arrived
to get her several hours later.
“You know how you feel when
you just feel like the whole world
is crashing and everything is becoming a giant when you are just
becoming an ant,” Xena said as she
described her feelings during the
bullying incident. “That’s how it
is. You are just focused on that one
person and thinking why would
they do this awful thing to me. I’m a
strong person but this is just breaking me down slowly. “
Diana, also a seventh grader, is
a quiet and curious girl. She loves
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895
math and violin and her core group
of friends. She said she began being
bullied in the third grade but had a
difficult time telling anyone about
the bullying until this year. Bullying
leaves her tearful at times and physically sick on occasion. Yet she continues to excel in her school work,
finding a safe bubble in her school
lessons where she can excel.
“I’ve told my parents, a friend’s
parents and the school about the
bullying,” Diana said. “But the
school doesn’t really do anything
about it. I didn’t really want to tell
anyone about it but this year it got
really bad so I told the school. All
they did was put some extra teachers in the hall to watch us but outside of school or in other parts of the
school there is nothing to help us.”
Diana says she feels physically
unsafe at school after numerous
incidents of being called names and
shoved by other students. The fear
has led to her missing several days
of school.
“It’s not safe at school if no one
is going to protect us,” Diana said.
“The bullying makes me feel dumb
and not important. It’s like you never know what is going to happen,
you are just waiting for someone
to come at you and punch you and
WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM
V V V
try to hurt you. I’ve missed lots of
school days because I’m scared to
get physically injured. Sometimes
I don’t go because I don’t feel well
because I’m scared.”
Xavier, a sixth grader, is quickwitted and athletic. He describes
himself as “a video game master”
and is also a skilled artist. However,
he too dreads going to school because of bullying and admits that he
wishes he could be homeschooled.
“I hate going to school
now,” Xavier said. “There are a
couple guys that really give me a
hard time. I’ve been shoved, hit and
kicked. The kids get suspended for
a couple days and then are back and
it starts all over. I don’t think anyone
takes it seriously.”
Xavier says he doesn’t feel like
bullies and their victims are treated
equally.
“I put up with a lot,” Xavier said.
“But if I fight back at all or I speak up
I get in trouble. These guys can beat
on us, hit us, hurt a friend of mine
so bad he ends up in the hospital
but we can’t fight back. People can
only take so much and if the punishments aren’t going to be equal then
it makes it even worse.”
Xavier, Diana and Xena are
quick to point out that the bullying
doesn’t stop with peers. They regularly witness other students being
disrespectful to teachers and staff
and they say it makes them uncomfortable.
“There is a kid that puts pictures
of teachers online and says crap
about them,” Xavier said. “It isn’t
cool and I don’t like it but I don’t
know what to do about it.”
“Kids are disrespectful a
lot,” Xena said. “I’ve noticed a lot
of students don’t have any respect
Please see Bullying, Page 3
COPE DISCUSSES FIRE INVESTIGATION
A
Q
A
This fire is being investigatIs arson easy to cover up?
ed by the state fire marshal.
I wouldn’t say it’s any easier
There have been no updates on
than some other crimes. NorThe Lyon County Sheriff’s Of- the house fire, but the barn was
fice is primarily responsible for determined to be a rekindle. The mally (when) we have people that
are committing these crimes ofinvestigating fires outside of the investigation remains open.
ten times people wil