Bullying in our schools

Being from a small school wasn't easy. Everyone knew everyone, therefore everyone knew everyone's business. The struggles of trying to be your own person without being judged by others became an everyday struggle. If you weren't a beer drinking, drug abusing hick or a jock, two totally different things I know, you were pretty much exiled. The high school world is never an easy place. Especially if you are surrounded by people who don't understand you. In Elementary school we had this club called "safety patrol" sounds lame right? maybe it was to others but, to me I felt awesome. Safety patrol was where 5th graders stood in certain hallways in the building and mad sure no one was messing around or bullying anyone. We got to wear a bright yellow belt and a badge, the whole nine yards, I felt so cool and that I was making a difference. Everyone won in the situation. But, Come to find out a few years after I "graduated" from elementary school they stopped this program. Now, I wasn't sad because no one got to wear the badge and belt anymore, I was sad because that is what kept those hallways safe every morning and afternoon. What made those little bullies behave themselves and not hurt the other kids. But, now that it is gone I hear more and more reports of bulling going on back at my school. It makes me wonder if schools really understand what goes on in those hallways? yeah, they may be only in third grade but, it doesn't matter your age words are still hurtful. And if these kids are not stopped young they carry these actions up through their teen years and then you find them in high school ten times more cruel than they were in elementary school. No matter the school you are in elementary, middle or high school people need to realize that just saying "stop doing that" or sending them to detention is going to change anything. We need to start taking control of these problems when they are young so when they get older it does not lead to more severe consequences later in life.