Rihla# 23

---

I believe people should be protected from bullying. <span> Someone's imperfection does not make them anything less than human. Growing up, I have seen many people getting picked on for how they look. I was one of those people. People just looked at me from the outside and judged me for looking different. They made me feel like nothing. In elementary school, I had a stutter and a lisp so I was an easy target. It was hard growing up because the kids in school would talk to me and say that they don't understand what I am saying when I was talking, even though they fully understood. They laughed when I repeated myself about three times at least. I had learned to just let it slide and put a smile on my face. I regret doing this because pain builds up inside. This is not good for people, especially children. This can lead to emotional breakdowns. I remember one day when I was about 12 or 13, that I cried almost a whole night because someone I had a crush on made fun of me. I was unfamiliar with how I felt but I just felt so low that all I could do is cry. Now that I think about it, I believe that I was experiencing depression. This is a very young age for a child to be experiencing this type of emotion because it can lead to suicidal thoughts. <span> No child should be for to feel this way. Ever since I have been bullied it has changed my life. I am always afraid of speaking in front of large crowds and even speaking one-on-one with someone because I am always afraid of being judged by my peers. Although I am in high school now, I still get picked on from time to time I defend myself by just letting other people know that everyone has imperfections. I have to overcome my fear of being bullied because I don’t want any of the people who judged me so have the satisfaction of bringing me down. If appearance wasn’t such an important part of meeting people, then there would be much less child deaths.

---