The Burden of Youth
Our youth are dealing with bullies at school and home, suffering from chronic stress, and trying to cope with the pressures of living in a digital world where they’re hit with a deluge of confusing messages – what’s in or out, who’s good or bad, what’s right or wrong – from strangers and equally confused peers.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “160,000 kids per day do not attend school for fear of being bullied.” Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others, and is most often a habitual behavior. A bully may use verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion as they hide behind the cloak of fear of differences in social class, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, behavior, body language, personality, reputation, lineage, strength, size, or ability.