Students in high school have struggled for many years dealing with the unavoidable, uncomfortable situation of watching someone they know get physically, mentally, or emotionally abused in some way.

Bullying has been a major issue at most high schools for quite some time.

Kearsley has been lucky to avoid most situations of bullying.

Although many conflicts go unseen by most students and administrators, bullying is not as common as most people would believe.

Assistant Principal Matt Moore said, “There are very few reports of bullying.”

Many upperclassmen have never witnessed another student being bullied.

Senior Stephan Niles said, “I have only witnessed it in seventh grade. Once by a fellow student.”

Niles went on to explain how he acted then, or did not act, would be different than if it were to happen now.

“I’d tell them to pick on someone their own size,” Niles said.

Niles said being bullied can ruin students’ lives as well as leave a “scar” on their memory.

Students who have never experienced bullying can only guess at how it can affect students.

Niles said, “It affects their attendance and certainly their academics.”

By this, Niles meant that students become afraid to come to school and the possible trauma caused creates a fear so large that students begin to lose concentration in their school work.

Senior Megan Taber said, “It affects their performance at school and willingness to be here.”

Students believe bullying is something that should not go unnoticed.

Niles said, “Bullying is not right. People should help stop it because it ruins personal images of those who are abused.”

Others, such as Taber, believe that bullying is a problem at every school.

Taber said she believes some schools may have no knowledge to the degree of which students are abused by others.

Moore said, “Everywhere has a problem with bullying. I do believe we are better than other schools for it.”

Taber said she knows someone that has been bullied.

“It made me feel bad for them,” Taber said. “We should all get along.”

Students do not think the Class of 2015 struggles as much as the classes under them.

Taber said, “I think the newer classes have a more difficult time with it than our class does.”

This was verified by Moore.

“Underclassmen bully each other,” Moore said. “Juniors and seniors don’t really bully underclassmen.”

Moore continued to explain that seniors may say that underclassmen are immature and tell them to get out of the way, but that they do not mean it to be rude.

Moore believes students bully for many reasons.

“From a boy’s stand point, they do it to make a joke of someone and to make their friends laugh,” he said. “As for females, I think it could be just pure meanness.”

This was not meant as an insult to female students.

Some underclassmen do believe that bullying is becoming an issue.

Freshman Logan Stark said, “It’s a large issue because it is not being controlled.”

Stark believes that speaking up to help others could cause more issues.

“I think I would get my butt kicked,” Stark said.

Sophomore Reese Harburn agreed with Stark.

Harburn said underclassmen are bullied more often than upperclassmen.

“I was bullied as a freshman and as an eighth-grader,” Harburn said.

Harburn said being bullied had a negative affect on him.

“I thought I wasn’t liked by anyone. Honestly, I had about two friends. No one else really socialized with me,” Harburn said. “It made me feel like I had to be different for people to like me.”

This year has been different for Harburn.

Bullying may or may not be a large issue at Kearsley, but it is an issue at most schools. Students need to watch what they say to others and stand up for one another.