Embedded Files
Snap Benefits Face Uncertainty as Federal Shutdown Continues
Snap Benefits Face Uncertainty as Federal Shutdown Continues
By: Ava Suarez
SNAP benefits are being called to a halt as the Federal Government shutdown enters its 43rd day, setting the record for the most number of days in U.S. history.
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and is a federal program that provides monthly food assistance to low and no income households, and/or persons, through an electronic card that is usually used to purchase groceries and food to help maintain adequate nutrition and health. Nearly 42 million Americans participate in these benefits.
The halt in funding has created chaos, leaving many families uncertain about their ability to afford food. The situation varies by state, some states are issuing full November benefits while others have been completely cut off, leaving residents in a state of confusion and fear.
In response to the crisis, some states have taken action to mitigate the impact. Governor Kathy Hachul of New York made $100 million in state funding available for food stamp recipients and to help food banks keep up with the demand.
Stew Leonard's, a grocery store chain, donated 3,000 turkeys to charities, but the need far exceeded the supply.
North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced that November benefits for 1.4 million North Carolinians would be delayed if the shut down continued. Governor Josh Stein urged the USDA to deploy federal contingency funds to prevent hunger among vulnerable populations. Many SNAP recipients are unsure when they will receive their November benefits.
The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance(OTDA) states that the exact date depends on when the federal government makes the funds available. Despite the uncertainty, EBT cards will still work, allowing individuals to use any previously issued SNAP benefits.
Updates about November SNAP benefits will be posted to various platforms, but OTDA will not be sending letters to inform participants of the delay.
The shutdown highlights the critical role SNAP plays in providing food security and the immediate impact of government dysfunction on vulnerable populations.
Gaza and Israel War
Gaza and Israel War
By Alanna Wood-Parks
Many people are affected by the ongoing war between Gaza and Israel. This war has affected many people economically and socially. It has also separated many homes and people completely deconstructing the society and governments.
This war that has been happening between Gaza and Israel has been passed down for decades over land, governance, and self-determination. The war happening now began because of Hamas attacking Israel in 2023. If the war continues the US may face effects across its economy, politics, foreign policy, and society. The US may face increased inflation and recession risk. Economists say that a wider war could put the US into a recession. Although the US may be facing some effects, the effects on Israel and Gaza are much larger. Gaza’s population, infrastructure, and environmental effects are expected to last decades. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed and over 90% of families in Gaza have been forced to move countless times.
There are many more effects happening in Gaza like starvation, disease, and little to absolutely no healthcare system.The effects on Israel are less serious than Gaza but are still facing many inconveniences due to the war. The shock of the war has led to huge widespread depression and shock. There have also been Israeli hostages which means many were superseded from their homes. The war is causing people to lose their jobs which means labor shortages are occurring. The history teacher Andrew Coleman said this is affecting his everyday life by “disrupting trade making prices increase.” This shows how it truly affects everyone around the world.
Endangered Animals
Endangered Animals
By: Alana Woodparks
Endangered animals numbers are increasing daily. There are more than 47,000 species that are endangered or threatened in the world currently.
There is an estimate of 200 to 10,000 being endangered every year. Animals are going endangered due to multiple human caused reasons. The ways humans are causing animals to go endangered or threatened is by them causing habitat loss, climate change, pollution, exploitation, and the introduction of invasive species.
Polar bears are threatened animals that may in the future become endangered. This is due to habitat loss from climate change. Since they rely on the ice to hunt which is melting, many of the polar bears are starving. The ice is melting because of human factors by them polluting the air and habitat destruction.
Additionally, humans play a huge role in animals being endangered and threatened and aren’t doing much to help the factors. Humans are destroying and altering natural environments to build homes and other structures. Pollution is also a huge role in endangered animals by oil spills and contaminating the waters. Another reason is because of overexploitation. For example, many people are overhunting and fishing for their own personal uses.
People can help the increasing number of endangered animals by avoiding products from endangered animals. Another way people could help lower the number of endangered animals is by minimizing pollution. They can do this by recycling and not spilling harmful oils.
“Buy recycled paper, sustainable products like bamboo and Forest Stewardship Council wood products to protect forest species ”--endangered.org
In conclusion, many animals around the world are endangered because of humans. People should start donating to help the endangered animals. They should also start using less polluting products. For example, Rhino horns are being stolen from Rhinos and used to treat fevers and low blood pressure. This is causing the population of that animal to drop and also many other animals.
Tariffs are to take effect on imports
Into and From: China, Mexico, & Canada
Who the tariffs will affect most, based on financial rank.
Beyond Borders: Unpacking the Differences Between USA and Finland
Beyond Borders: Unpacking the Differences Between USA and Finland
On Aug 21, 2025 in Fountain Inn, Laura interviews Elli, and they talk about differences between the U.S.A and Finland.
By Laura Yloenen
I’m talking about the differences and things that surprised me, when coming here. Because, many don’t know how life is outside the USA. I have interviewed Elli, so you can see the differences from another perspective too.
Most surprising thing when I came here, was how social everybody is. I didn’t even know who they were, but they started talking to me. Because in Finland nobody talks to you, not even when you know the person. The food was also a big difference, in the USA they add things that they really don’t need in the food. That just makes it more unhealthy. School lunch break is also very short, and here you don’t have breaks between classes. Like in Finland we have much longer lunch and after every 45 minutes class we have 15 minutes breaks.
Next I interviewed Elli, 11th. Simpsonville.
Do you think there is a big difference between school lunches?
“School lunch is very different, in the USA the food is unhealthy. Usually in Finland we had food that had some kinda meat, potatoes and vegetables, while in the USA the school lunch is burgers.”
Do you have as much freedom in the USA as in Finland?
“Parents are more strict and 17 year olds are treated as a baby, while in Finland 17 year olds are treated as adults, like many don't have curfews, or rules and they live a more independent life.”
How do you spend your free time?
“Usually in Finland we go to friends' houses, parties, malls, brunch and coffee shops. In the USA I see my friends only in school or practice, because I don't have time outside the school.”
Tariffs in America
Tariffs in America
By Layla Vicino
As of right now, the 25% tariffs on both Canada and Mexico have been put on hold for 30 days as of February 4, though the 10% tariffs with China had begun on that day. Since the tariffs on Chinese imports have been implemented, affected goods include fish and crustaceans, vegetables (especially corn), fruit and nuts, waxes, flour, wheat, dairy products, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, eggs, and a handful of more items as well. The 10% tax increase means that a $10 item will now cost $11, or a $100 item will become $110. While the importers are initially who pay the extra costs upfront, it will ultimately get passed down to us consumers. Donald Trump’s reasoning for starting this is to try limiting border crossings from Mexico to prevent illegal immigration in order to “enhance,” or better,” our borders, as well as reduce as much reliance on foreign goods as possible, to encourage domestic production and make the U.S. more self-sufficient.
Because of the change in prices, “you have to be a more frugal shopper, you have to compare prices. Do you order this thing from Temu that may come from China or do you go to a store and buy local,” questioned Jeffrey Hoffman, our Media Technology teacher here at Fountain Inn High School. Tariffs may not affect his class directly very much, though, “home building, or projects- like our career center, wood shops, wood and timber from Canada…” Hoffman explained, might be more affected if the tariffs are launched with Canada. Also regarding school budgeting, the prices might change with, “gas for buses.” mentioned Justin Green, our US Government teacher for the seniors. Roughly 60% of our oil that the United States imports comes from Canada, and about 7% comes from Mexico. Ultimately, the prices will then be expected to rise about 15-20 cents per gallon. Though, seeing as Green’s role in teaching is to teach about our government, he believes “it’s a good idea for students to learn about tariffs. It’s part of public policy, it affects our country and our financial situation,” he shares, as well as our Marketing Teacher, Logan Tepe, “anything that affects your life you should try to understand the best that you can. I think this is an extremely important topic to understand. Many adult friends had no idea how tariffs worked and that lack of understanding is going to affect them for several years into the future.”
Many high schoolers, minors and legal adults already have a deeper understanding of not only this topic but other political or controversial subjects, than a good handful of older men and women that claim to know what they talk about or argue about, whether it be in person or online, which Hoffman elaborates, “you see some articles come up about it being inflationary, you have some sources of people saying its for National Security… Tik Tok is a Chinese-based company, China’s not gonna fall in love with the tariffs… are the messages from Tik Tok gonna be more ‘anti-tariff’ or ‘pro-tariff’? Obviously everything coming from our government is going to be pro-tariff because they're going to back the President's decision…,” etc, which hence proves that no matter how young or old a person is, you need to educate yourself on what can or will affect your life, “As with any media it’s about sorting through propaganda and trying to find facts about how these things will impact us,” Hoffman agrees, as well as Green, “Don’t believe everything that you see, hear or read on the surface. Take a deeper look and research things before forming an opinion. Voting and elections matter.”
Ultimately, “This is about pocketbooks. This is not about Republicans or Democrats, it's about prices are going to go up,” Hoffman noted, and despite any of our political views, every single American is going to face and feel the hit of these tariffs. We as the people should have a common goal of Uniting within the United States, but all we do is separate farther and farther like water and oil into Left and Right. It’s up to us to determine the rest of this year, the next four years, and years to follow after.
Behind the Screens
Behind the Screens
By Matthew Lankford
From the bustling and noisy cities to the hard-working factories, all the way up to the quiet and calm countryside, technology is present in some kind of way. It affects us in the way we communicate, our social lives, even in our jobs. As society has advanced, so has technology, to the point where most if not all aspects of life now include some type of technology.
With technology constantly changing and developing, it seems that it will only continue to grow and dominate society further than it already has.
“Based on what I've seen in the past 10+ years, I think technology will continue to dominate society. Students today need to consider technology when they think about future careers. By the time they become employees, they will be using (and expected to know) technology that doesn't exist yet. We all have to be more comfortable assimilating tech into the way we do things now," said Robert Sheffield, Mechatronics teacher at FIHS.
Though with the advancement of technology, comes the question of AI. Many people start wondering, “Will AI soon replace many jobs done by humans?” or other questions such as, “Can AI be trusted?” To add to this issue, movies such as The Terminator shed new light on AI and technology which only leads to more serious questions on the future of AI and where it is going.
“I think it depends on the intent of the user. If the user is using it as a tool to supplement their learning/knowledge then AI can be a great equalizer. I was fortunate to have a mom growing up that was willing to proofread my work, and help me make it better. Not everyone had someone who was willing to do that. Now with AI, everyone has access to a tutor. For those who let AI do the work for them, the tech can be a negative. We already have students who cut, paste, and copy work other people did. With AI the process just got a little easier. If AI is a supplemental tool, it can be an asset,” Sheffield said.
Another important aspect that must be considered when we talk about technology is code. Code is the backbone of the technology we use everyday, it's what allows the devices we use to run, the websites we use to load, and many other things.
“Code has really set a foundation for the digital society we live in. The phone in your pocket, the computers you use every day, almost everything you interact with has some kind of code behind it,” said Quinn Wilson, Computer Programming teacher.
Code has also allowed for multiple job opportunities, as well as new opportunities to learn and build upon already existing thoughts or ideas.
“Coding careers have set a foundation for the digital world we live in, which provides many benefits. Healthcare, education, and communication are just a few of the areas that have been improved and impacted in some way by technology,” Wilson said.
Yet another problem arises when it comes to technology, is that we have grown to rely on it way too much.
“We have become extremely dependent on technology, and that becomes apparent when we lose it. The days after the hurricane showed us how much we rely on tech. I taught several years before Chromebooks and Google Classroom, so if FIHS loses the internet for a day I have experience I can fall back on. Some of the newer teachers (ie - those hired after COVID) would have a more difficult time teaching without the tools we consider normal today,” Sheffield said.
Despite these issues, the positives of technology seem to outweigh the negatives, as technology changes, like everything, there are going to be both drawbacks and improvements.
“Technology has had positive influences across the board, there's always going to be negatives and drawbacks, with any changes, and any growth, but I do think that positives far outweigh the negatives,” Brett Nicholas, former Fundamentals of Computer Science said.
To combat the drawbacks of some of the issues that technology poses, there's always going to be new technology and new changes made to directly combat either old outdated technology or any errors in the software of technology.
“There's always going to be new, there's always going to be advances and change, especially with technology. For example, stuff that happens today, is going to get outdated fast, and that's the way the process works,” Nicholas said.
Evolution of Technology
By Renato Blanco-Rojas
“I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction," Albert Einstein said. As technology was growing, he knew that it would only continue. Many people now in our generation fear that technology will grow out of hand and many even have fears that it could start the apocalypse like in the movies. All of these assumptions and fears are false for the main reason that our technology is not as advanced as we think. This isn't to say that it is not advanced but the way that people fear it is a stretch to what it can really do.
Many of the technologies we have at the moment are very helpful to big companies and the work force and one of these technologies are robots. Whenever the word robots pop into someones head, they immediately think about the cartoon robots that act the same as humans do, but in reality these robots look nothing like those cartoons. These robots are similar to big metal arms and they help move and arrange stuff in a factory so that its ready to go. Another cool piece of technology in our modern day is self checkout in the stores. They may not be robots entirely, but it is a piece of technology that can do same stuff that cashiers can.
A common debate is that these robots will take the jobs that humans already have and while that is true, this can open up some new opportunities for humans to work better jobs or even work with the technology we are being offered. With technology expanding and only continuing to expand, new job opportunities open up such as mechanics to fix these robots in case of any emergencies. Jobs to code these robots on what to do are also available as these robots have no idea what to do unless they are coded.
Many people fear technology because of hackers and how much of a threat they put themselves out as, but in reality it's not as likely. According to an online study, the chances of getting hacked in the United States is only 37%. Even if you were to get hacked, with our technological advancements it is very hard for something to come of it as many websites have the ability to block off any hackers before they can even cause some harm.
Security has also improved since technology has continued to advance. At the entrance of many stores, there are always two big poles. These are called Radio Frequency Identification which is used to track some items whenever they are getting in new shipments or the amount of sales that they have received. Whenever a stolen item is detected, the machine makes a loud beeping noise and it notifies the workers to prevent the criminal from getting away with the stolen items. This wasn't a thing a few decades ago and it just proves that the evolution of technology is benefiting everyone for the better.
Entertainment has changed with the improvements of technology. We now have portable electronic devices that a lot people use, whether it's a phone or a tablet. At parties, festivals and even concerts, there are LED lights and many costumes now even have the colorful lights built into them. As technology continues to evolve at a fast rate so does our entertainment, and concerts are now having the star as a hologram. Famous pop artist Michael Jackson had a concert and presenting himself as a hologram. Well known rapper, Tupac was displayed by a 3 dimensional light at Coachella. Both of these artist are have unfortunately passed but thanks to technology they have been presented at a concert so that people of our next generations can experience their concerts as if they were still here.
"Star Wars" is a well known tv show that has been around since 1977. In one of the episodes of "The Mandalorian," a character known as Luke Skywalker played by Mark Hamil made a short appearance in one of the episodes but left fans confused due to the fact the actor is too old for the role. They were able to do this is by using CGI which stands for “Computer Generated Images” and they used a computer which helped to create the visual for Luke Skywalker because his actor was unable to play the role still.
CGI is only improving as we are discovering new tools and technology and one of these amazing tools is known as Artificial Intelligence. Many people have their mixed opinions about artificial technology such as many fearing that it could take over and surpass human intelligence but this fear is also a big stretch. Artificial intelligence is very helpful as it has helped many people and companies such as being a tool for factories and production as it is very controllable and it is good at repetition. AI can even do most things that humans can do and more because AI is even the reason on why cars are now slowly starting to include a self driving feature. A lot of people fear this technology and believe that it will surpass our knowledge but this is far from the truth.
Fountain Inn High School has programs that work with technology and we sat down with John Hammond who teaches engineering in the school.
“Working with technology can be a lot of fun but it can also be frustrating whenever it fails and it doesn't go the way you expected it to. You can never tell where the advancements will go sometimes it won't be the way you expect it and something different will turn out happening,” Hammond said.
He also added on that 3D printing and computers will start to become more advanced as they are already making rapid progress.
“Its a valid concern to wonder if [AI technology] really is a threat and to be careful with it,” Hammond said.
We should definitely be aware of the technology but also be curious with it because it can only grow and if the free stuff like “ChatGPT” can do a lot of things, imagine what the stuff that costs and is more high tech could do. AI and computers will only keep evolving but it is also changing the way we learn.
"Back when I was in school we didn't have google or computers like this,” said Hammond.
It only goes to show how technology is changing the way that schools are educating students.
Class courses are changing and technology is also helping with this. As technology evolves there are more courses being created and taught. Engineering and other computer classes were not around back then that only proves the evolution of technology and how it is affecting a lot of things in a good way. Students can get first hand experience on how it is to work with technology. The addition of these classes has also helped students get real life experience with the topics and study it to get better at the technology they are studying and having the class.
A well known band known as “U2” recently performed at the sphere venue on the weekend of Sept. 29, 2023. Sphere venue is a spherical music and entertainment arena that is very high tech.The sphere surrounds the crowd with high tech images and sounds that make them feel like they are experiencing what they are seeing. The concert showed a beautiful sunset and a bunch of land that seemed very realistic as well as other scenes that looked straight out of a movie. This was the sphere’s debut and it will continue to hold these concerts until Dec. 2023.
Technology is all around us and it is growing each day that passes. Many people don't think about it but everything we use is practically some sort of technology. Whether it is house appliances, school computers, to even something as a mechanical pencil. While the fear of technology is fair, the pros outweigh the cons and it is clear to say that technology will only continue to evolve for us in a positive way and will continue to make positive changes to our society. It will only continue to benefit us in the long run as long but this doesn't mean to not be careful.
Counselors against Bullying
By Bri Strickland
"What is bullying?" You may ask. Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words, or more subtle actions.
This is a very important subject in the US today because of the negative effect it has on people. Many people have different perspectives on the subject and there are ways to prevent it.
Bullying affects many people. In the US, one in five students ages 12-18 have been bullied during the school year. Approximately 160,000 teens have skipped school because of bullying.
Many students keep bullying to themselves and don’t tell many people, but some go to counselors. Counselors use various strategies to improve social and emotional skills, which can have a positive impact on the attitude and behavior of students who are currently being bullied. These strategies help students become more aware of their emotions and how they influence their behavior.
Counselors state that they love being a counselor and helping students achieve their goals. They enjoy communicating and talking to students about their problems and struggles and helping them find solutions to those problems. They love helping, inspiring and motivating students on a day to day basis.
“We always try to help people find their voice, who they are, that they’re enough, that they matter, and that we care about them for who they are, they don’t need to resort to things to feel better, we want them to feel better authentically,” Fountain Inn High School Counselor Rob Rhodes said.
Counseling isn’t just “a job” to them, there is more to it. They really care and want to help and be there for their students to help them with their current struggles and problems. Counselors do a lot for our community that we don’t even realize and thank them for.
To be a well educated counselor, you have to have a good and long experience with counseling and how it works. Rhodes states, “I've been in education for 35 years, and counseling was my favorite job I ever had. Being a high school counselor brought me lots of joy, it's where I needed to be and I’m really thankful to be able to come back to that in this stage of my career.”
Counseling takes a lot of patience. It takes a lot to listen to different people's problems and struggles in life and put their situation into your own perspective, while you also are struggling with your own struggles and problems in your life. Not only do counselors help with bullying, but they also help with many other situations that students are struggling with. Counselors love their jobs and what they do for a living.
“It’s really uplifting when you can be part of someone's path to a better life. And that's the reason why I'm here. To help students find that life that they can have, you don’t ever have to stay in the place that you are and it can be hard when you’re working through those things but we always want students to know that we understand that it is the right thing to talk about how you’re feeling and that does not define you. Your circumstances don’t define you, how you deal with them, that’s what’s important and we wanna help you deal with that in a way that supports yourself, that honors yourself, and that gives you a place to move forward in your life,” Rhodes said.
Counselors aren’t just here to talk to and help students, but they are also here to try to help students within their lives and their pathways into their future and who they truly want to be.
Bullying affects many people in different ways. Katlyn McCormick is a well-liked counselor at FIHS, we asked her what she thinks like the kids being bullied felt like.
“I think it feels terrible, I think there's all sorts of emotions that get wrapped up. It makes some people angry, it frustrates some people, it makes some people really sad, anxious, all sorts of feelings come with being bullied. Just depends on the person,” said McCormick.
This statement shows how counselors are counselors for a reason and how they understand. They understand the students' situations and what they’re going through and how to fix their situation.
Not only do counselors help with bullying, but so do administrators. Counselors usually talk to students about their problems and try to be understanding and easy going. Administrators are the ones who deal with the bullying as in consequences and punishments for the bully.
We interviewed one of the administrators at Fountain inn High, Angel Stepp on what she thinks the reason for bullying is.
“I think it's different things. Peer pressure sometimes. For a child to show their worth to a group, what I found out the most was that there was something inside that person that they struggle with and they take it out on a person they find a little weaker, a little easier to get to. That's probably gonna take the abuse a little longer than the average person. So I think sometimes it’s what's inside the person that's causing them to be angry at themselves, at the world, and that's just an easy target. Sometimes it's jealousy, sometimes they're jealous of that person, maybe that person's relationships, maybe that persons a great student, there's a lot of reasons,” said Stepp.
Bullying can lead to many issues and problems. Not just for the victim of bullying, but also for the bully. Bullying can cause things such as depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may even persist into adulthood.
People don’t usually invest in the bully and what they’re going through on their own. Usually the bully is struggling on their own and trying to get their focus on something else other than their own problems. Some people struggle with their own problems so they take them out on other people.
Bullying not only drives some students to anxiety and depression, but it can also lead to bad thoughts and eventually even suicide.
While researching in The Relationship Between Bullying and Suicide website this was found, ”Bullying behavior and suicide-related behavior are closely related. Youth who report any involvement with bullying behavior are more likely to report high levels of suicide-related behavior than youth who do not report any involvement with bullying behavior.”
Also in the same website, it stated, “Any involvement with bullying behavior is one stressor which may significantly contribute to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that raise the risk of suicide.”
Through the years, bullying has grown and became worse. In the past, bullying was seen as verbal and physical harassment and was easy to be controlled because it was a face-to-face interaction. Today, due to the advance of technology bullying has become more dangerous and harder to contain because of cellphones, social media cited, etc. Bullying has changed from being verbal and physical to both cyberbullying and verbal and physical harassment.
Bullying is stressful and not an easy subject to talk about, I think bullying helps students to better become a stronger and braver person. They may not “Get over” the bullying or ever forget about it but, it will always be stuck with them to help them become the person they most want to be.
According to The New York Times, “When children are bullied in elementary school, feel that pain, and try out different solutions, they build their resilience muscle. When they know they can seek and receive the help they need, they become stronger. Children learn they can get through the situation when parents are available to offer support and help children brainstorm solutions. They gain strength and discover they are capable. This strength helps them as they face challenges in middle school and beyond.”
Bullying isn’t always a bad thing, sometimes bullying can be a good thing too. Sometimes bullying helps build people up and help them realize that not everyone in this world is the same, and that everyone has their own differences and opinions.
“Bullying can sometimes cause an individual to exceed their personal limitations. People that are high achievers can sometimes be categorized as bullies.”
A bully could be anyone, no matter the person. A bully could be someone that always seems positive and acts as if they’re always happy. A bully could be someone who always seems mean and hateful. Anyone could be a bully.
Better Than Bullying
By Autumn Lee
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.
There is social, verbal and physical bullying. There is also prejudicial bullying, sexual bullying and cyberbullying.
Social bullying is when someone is trying to ruin another person's reputation. This harms the targeted person's mental health because it affects their sense of belonging.
Verbal bullying is when someone uses words to hurt, harass, or scare another person. This leaves targets feeling ashamed, humiliated, or even afraid.
Physical bullying is a type of bullying where someone uses their body or an object to hurt or scare another person.
Prejudicial bullying arises from a misguided or learned belief that certain groups of people deserve to be treated differently or with less respect.
Sexualised bullying is a behavior, physical or non-physical, where sexuality or gender is used as a weapon against another.
Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones.
“Bullying is never fun, it's a cruel and terrible thing to do to someone. If you are being bullied, it is not your fault. No one deserves to be bullied, ever.”
Bullying is a common experience for many children and adolescents. Surveys indicate that as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years, and at least 10% are bullied on a regular basis. Sixth grade students experience the most bullying (31%). 70% of school staff have seen bullying. 62% witnessed bullying two or more times in the last month, and 41% witnessed bullying once a week or more.
Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen traveling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the Internet.
Being bullied makes young people incredibly insecure. When you're being bullied, you can feel constantly insecure and on guard. Even if you're not actively being bullied, you're aware it could start anytime. It has a big mental and emotional impact—you feel unaccepted, isolated, angry, and withdrawn. You're always wondering how you can do better and how you can escape a bully's notice. You're also stunted because of the constant tension and because maybe you forgo making certain friendships or miss out on taking certain chances that could actually help your development.
Bullying is a distinctive pattern of repeatedly and deliberately harming and humiliating others, specifically those who are smaller, weaker, younger or in any way more vulnerable than the bully. The deliberate targeting of those of lesser power is what distinguishes bullying from garden-variety aggression
Unmasking the Truth: Addressing the Silent Epidemic of Teen Suicide
By Dacia Shell
Suicide is a problematic issue that is dealt with every day around the world, especially among younger generations. Suicide in kids has been on a rise since 2016 and not many parents take the time to sit down and talk with their children about mental health. The youngest person to take their own life was six-years-old, she hanged herself after getting into an argument with her mother.
Many cases started popping up in 2000 all the way to 2018 but they dropped then rose back up once the pandemic struck. No one takes the time to think that 20% of students who attend high school have thought about taking their lives and 9% of them have actually tried.
Younger people are often scared to talk about the way they feel so it’s why a lot of people keep quiet about their issues. These numbers are high but there are countries with a whopping 40.3 suicide rate and the numbers go higher than that which is truly sad once you actually think about it.
If over a million people take their lives each year, that would mean that every 40 seconds or one minute that goes by, someone just took their life. While suicide is a constant changing process, the numbers have increased lately by 2.6%, mainly happening to white males aged 25 to 44.
In 2021, over 48,000 people took their life. This correlates to a death every 11 minutes. In total, it is mainly elderly citizens who commit suicide with people aged 85 and older having the highest suicide rate. Guns claim the highest rating when it comes to methods of suicide while suffocation is second place, with guns being 55% of suicides and suffocation being 26% of suicides.
``Feeling judged is a big one, feeling like what they feel isn’t something big because it’s not physical. So I feel like the biggest thing would be people not wanting to speak up about it,” Math teacher, Brooke DiMatteo said.
The reasons for suicide are always expanding, and it ranges anything from mental issues, identity, feeling lonely, and more; the list is never-ending. Many people who take their lives or think about taking their lives have some sort of undiagnosed mental disorder like ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, or bipolar disorder which is the constant change of mood that can be extremely hard to control or get away from.
Many mental issues if not all are connected to depression and suicidal thoughts in some way, shape, or form but many parental figures knock it off as their child misbehaves but behind the scenes, their behavior could have a deeper meaning. The signs of suicide can vary, many people often view suicide and depression as self-harm and constantly being upset with oneself but self-harm in kids or anyone with suicide can be anything from constantly wanting to fight to a person biting and scratching themselves.
This is why the things associated with suicide should be expanded, simply because it changes forms every time and people should be willing to take it into consideration that maybe this person is struggling mentally. Another reason for causes in suicide is the people in our society, with many people believing kids are unable to have depression at a very young age and with many of these people believing suicide only applies to certain ages or groups such as young adults or teens yet behind the scenes a percentage of those suicide victims are elderly or kids.
Parents must take the chance to get their children checked for any depressive disorders or any disorders that may alter thought process and cause issues as they grow older, eventually affecting their ability to socialize or think properly. People also need to keep in mind that people who are struggling with mental issues may also go out of their way to hurt others and not just themselves, causing them to become a threat not only to themselves but also to the public.
“There’s a reason for your child misbehaving, there’s something wrong and you should approach your child in a concerned manner and not be on the defensive side. That could probably cause you to be part of the problem,” English teacher Skye Sudduth said.
The effects that suicide can have on family ranges, causing anything from depression to PTSD also known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sadly, some families are left to clean up the aftermath of a suicide themselves but this doesn’t always occur and there are very few cases of this happening.
People struggle to cope with a tragedy such as suicide so the family may end up falling that same road as the victim especially when that victim was deeply loved by family members, possibly causing a never-ending cycle of pain. People who have lost loved ones to suicide and have held their ground are known as loss survivors, these people often struggle with their mental health as well which is why people have made hotlines or websites for loss survivors to contact.
Not many people know about the fact that apart from suicide prevention month, there’s also a day or days dedicated to the people who are loss survivors and those days are Nov. 28 through Oct. 1. It is said that every 40 seconds that someone takes their own life, it leaves at least six to eight grieving and causing them to become loss survivors in the US alone about 45 million people have been affected by survivor loss and the number continues to grow as time passes.
Many people believe that a survivor's loss can come in a form similar to survivor guilt, with survivor guilt being someone who feels guilty for surviving a traumatic event while survivor's loss is simply a person who has experienced a loved one committing suicide. Along with this, there are times when a family feels some sort of guilt, a feeling in which they think they might have been a part of the issue which could cause issues for that family member.
There is also heredity when it comes to suicide or suicidal thoughts, families with a history of suicide caused by mental disorders have a high chance of passing it down to later generations and many people fail to realize that this is most definitely possible. Many people start to change when it’s too late and when the damage to someone’s mental state has already been done and people don’t care about helping until that said person is already lifeless, it’s a sad reality yes but it’s a reality in which we live in and with this, guiltiness may also be present in our lives.
One of the more questionable questions when it comes to suicide is whether suicide can be stopped or at least dramatically lower the rates of suicide. The thing people fail to realize is that suicide cannot be stopped but it can be prevented, both of those meaning being completely different but acting out the same goal.
One reason we cannot stop suicide but only prevent it is because the many things humans do can’t be stopped they can only be prevented, depressive disorders such as anxiety and bipolar disorder can’t be stopped either. There is no true way to put an end to suicide and some people believe that it might as well be human nature, it’s become so common in fact, that it might just be a part of life that some people are unfortunate to come across.
A lot of people have discussed many ways to alter the rate of suicide and have come up with different ways to do so, some of these ways being restriction, media coverage, identification methods, and screening. These are only a handful of options and the list continues, the methods and strategies are there but the problem is the execution, finding a way to carry out with stopping suicide or drastically decrease it which has been described as “a very difficult thing to accomplish.”
The one way to prevent suicide or lower it is to start teaching everyone suicide warnings, which are the signs of suicide and things to look out for, this topic is popular among people wanting to do more to stop suicide and some parents have taught their children about this. It’s thought that if everyone can contribute to society in a positive way then suicide wouldn’t be a leading cause, due to society playing a main part in people's mental state such as beauty standards or bullying which mainly comes with a negative impact. It’s sad to say that there is no true way to end suicide and that this will continue to be an issue that continues to rise.
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