In movies, high school is always portrayed as a place where bullies are plentiful and pain is abundant. You watch with anticipation as the main character gets sat on, has his lunch money stolen and is pushed into lockers. As entertaining as this may be, bullying isn’t just a dramatization shown on the big screen. It comes in many forms that movies don’t even portray.

“The worst type of bullying isn’t physical,” sophomore Aspen Dunivan said. “Emotional and verbal bullying is the worst because sometimes words can hurt more than getting physically hurt, especially for girls.”

Sophomore Lexie Reinhardt experienced this first-hand.

“I was bullied out of my last school,” Reinhardt said. “This girl who hated me got everyone to make fun of me just because a guy she talked to was my friend.”

Reinhardt said that Hays High has been a fresh start for her.

“Hays High is better because it has more people than Victoria,” Reinhardt said. “If I don’t get along with one group, there are many others to choose from.”

Yet, freshman Isabella Lee said that bullying takes place here as well.

“I get made fun of for my voice,” Lee said. “It’s really high pitched so people make jokes about it. I know that they may be joking, but it still hurts my feelings.”

Sophomore Shelby Phillips admitted that she has bullied before.

“I cyber bullied someone once,” Phillips said. “I said some really mean things and then threatened to beat her up. I did it because she was calling me bad names and saying bad things about me, so I confronted her.”

Junior Bryce Baker has also taken part in bullying.

“I bullied a kid in Norton,” Baker said. “I shoved him around and punched him in the face. I did it because he was new and in Norton, every new kid gets bullied.”

However, Baker said he would not bully anymore.

“I don’t think it’s okay anymore,” Baker said. “It hurts people emotionally and physically. I wouldn’t do it again.”

Junior Nicole Miller doesn’t bully either, due to personal experience.

“I used to pee my pants in grade school,” Miller said. “Kids would tell me that they didn’t want to be my friend and called me ‘Pee Girl.’ I felt like a loner with no friends and I didn’t even want to go to school. I didn’t feel loved. I don’t bully because of that. I know what it felt like.”

Freshman Matthew Owens has dedicated time and effort to take action against bullying.

“I made a Facebook group called ‘Dedicated World Changers’ to inspire people to be better and love and care for each other,” Owens said. “I want to change them from bad to good. I was inspired by my own personal experiences with bullying, but also from other people’s.”

Owens has been bullied in the past.

“I’ve been pushed around and called names and even though it hurt, I smiled,” Owens said. “I smiled because I know it will end someday. Troubles end. Happiness can last forever.”

13dbrissonburns@usd489.com