Horror is a genre that only looks good on screens. Unfortunately, the everyday lives of countless teens across the US fall in the same category. The physical and mental abuse is something that they grow up enduring, only to continue suffering its consequences even years after the nightmare is over. The quest for finding a conclusive answer to how to stop bullies has been going on for years, though to no avail. However, Congressman Mike Honda thinks that he may have come up with a perfect strategy to protect kids from the pandemic of bullying.

A threat with no boundaries

Bullying is indeed a problem of pandemic proportions, with 13 million children across the US facing the threat on daily basis. Furthermore, it exists in many forms, including racism, homophobia, sexism and xenophobia.  This may complicate things, but at the same time, it raises the urgency to deal with it. For years, bullying was considered a normal part of growing up, leaving the victims helpless against the threat. Fortunately, this misconception is being replaced by just the right amount of concern.

An encounter with the beast

Honda revealed in his article on CNN that he was regularly targeted in school for his background and ethnic origin. The Japanese Americans had a rough time in the years that followed World War II. The US Congressman conceded that he had a hard time concentrating in class, struggled to speak up, and suffered from low self-esteem due to bullying. Fortunately for him, his father was there to support him through the ordeal and help him liberate himself from the pain and suffering. Thanks to his father, he felt empowered enough to get back on his feet and continue towards his dreams. That is when he learned that to stop bullying in schools, empowering the victims and those who can make a difference is imperative.

A campaign to defeat bullying

Honda is of the opinion that changing laws, the way the society thinks, and the cultural as well as behavioral norms can help in dealing with the problem at hand. He also seems to think that increased funding and anti-bulling training for everyone from parents, teachers and students to school administrations, bus drivers and nurses can make a difference. In a bid to help bring about that change, he launched the bipartisan Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus. The Caucus brought politicians and other influential individuals together to take the aforementioned initiatives and deal with the problem once and for all.

Irrespective of the impact that the Anti-Bullying Caucus makes, such efforts are indeed invaluable. Being deeply rooted into the system, getting rid of bullying in school is bound to prove laborious. However, every little step taking in the right is bound to bring America closer to the ultimate destination.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/27/opinion/honda-bullying/index.html