“Give me your lunch money” in school cafeterias has escalated to “Kill yourself” on social media sites. Certain bullies have crossed the line by stalking their prey 24/7 through the use of social media, such as Youtube, Instagram and Twitter. In this technological society, it is common to hear of teens committing suicide due to harsh opinions and mental abuse.

Contrary to the common saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, many circumstances of bullying have shown that words can do more than just sting.

“I’ve been called names and verbally abused by people, and I’m sure most teenagers have whether they would like to admit it or not; I personally don’t let others people’s opinions define me or bring me down,” junior Bianca Barrera said. “I use their words to strive toward a higher goal and use it as motivation, if someone is ever trying to degrade me they will never succeed.”

In the context of today’s forms of bullying, Webster’s no longer does the subject justice.It states bullying as an “effort to impose domination over others.” Bullying has the power of stealing one’s identity, with the tap of the mouse a bully has the power to bring a person down by imposing a different identity onto the individual.

“My sister has been tormented her entire life for being overweight, she almost resulted to homeschooling because the bullying had become so severe,” senior Ashlea Dudas said. “This year she returned to school with pounds shed and a new attitude, she was most definitely not letting bullies get to her and disrupting her life. She stood up to them in the best way possible, by showing them that their words meant nothing to her and they were irrelevant in her life.”

Last year, Amanda Todd’s actions took the world by storm. After posting a video on Youtube telling her story of the harassment and torment she received from her classmates (due to a resurfaced topless photo) through flashcards, fifteen year old Amanda Todd hung herself. The flashcards quoted what some of her peers said to her, such as, “I hope she sees this and kills herself.” She also quoted her own thoughts on the flashcards like, “Everyday I think why am I still here?”

“Although she made a mistake by posting a topless photo, her peers are the ones to blame due to their harsh comments, whether they realized they were harming Amanda or not,” junior Sarah Waters said. “Many times we don’t realize our words can paralyze someone even if we are just kidding around, instead of saying negative comments to people we should try and reinforce as many positive comments as possible.”

According to www.bullyingstatistics.org, about 30 percent of teenagers have been involved in bullying, either as the victim or the bully. The school uses many precautions in order to nip bullying in the bud, such as the bully box, the trust counselor and the club No Place for Hate. Although these methods of prevention are effective, it only goes as far as students are willing to take it.

“No Place for Hate has gotten students to come together for a common cause to promote peace, enhance the appreciation of diversity, and foster harmony within different groups,” said Ms. Lisa Mallard, counselor and No Place for Hate sponsor. “Bullying in general effects every human being, whether is has to do with friends teasing friends or a clique who thinks another person or group doesn’t match their definition of perfection. Words hurt, end of story.”

Due to clubs and organizations like No Place for Hate, it has allowed Palmetto students to stand up for themselves. Even though society and technology have made it easier for someone to target an individual, it is also easier now to get help and find a suitable solution if a situation can’t be handled individually.

“Show bullies that words will not be used to steal your identity,” junior Bianca Barrera said. “In this day and age it’s easy to forget how special each and every one of us is; the words bullies use in fact better describe them rather than their actual victims.”

The Miami-Dade area provides various hotlines open 24/7 for adults and teens in need and suicide prevention. The Helpline can be reached at (305) 358-HELP and the Teen link line’s number is (305) 377-TEEN, which deals mostly with bullying effects inflicted onto students by other teens.