In the world today, bullying has become a huge part of many peoples’ daily lives. The effects bullying may have on the younger generation can be disturbing and dangerous. In order to combat the progression of this phenomenon and support victims of bullying, the No Place For Hate organization tours the U.S., traveling to different schools to talk to students about stopping bullying, recognizing the signs, reporting it, and much more. 

Earlier in October, Cy Falls High School took part in the No Place for Hate High School Tour virtual assembly. During the assembly, the No Place For Hate organization, along with many different celebrity volunteers, showcased a message of anti-bullying and support to the students.

“We are all different in many ways,” NBA star Magic Johnson said. “Try to appreciate things that make you unique. Whether it’s the color of your skin, how much money you have, your sexuality, or something else; no one deserves to be bullied. We must show others the same respect we would want to be shown.”

At Cy Falls, different events and projects run by the No Place For Hate organization had been taking place at the school for years. This year, more than ever, the school’s administration and staff wanted to continue to better the school by creating a safe place where students feel free to be themselves.

“As a campus, our battle cry is ‘We Are One,’” Assistant Principal Kyle Parsons said. “We are all in this together, we all have each other back and support one another. We as a [campus] do a great job, but we can’t ever get complacent and we still have places where we as a campus can grow.” 

For some of the older celebrities featured in the assembly, bullying during their youth had such a profound effect on their lives, that they remember it years later. 

“I was very much bullied when I was young, in elementary school and in junior high school,” Pro-Skater Tony Hawk said. “The funny thing is it was because I was a skater, mostly, but also because I was small and I didn’t fit in. [Bullying] is a short phase of your life and you will overcome this, and that you can overcome this. Look at me, I overcame it. I had to figure out how to build my own self-confidence. I had to figure out how to chose my own path, and I did just that.”

There are many different types of bullying, including physical and emotional. However, because of the increased use of technology, along with the introduction of social media, cyberbullying has quickly become the most common type of bullying in the past five years. Hidden behind a screen, many bullies online will not go punished for their actions. 

“There are four types of bullying that we are worried about today,” the host for the No Place For Hate High School Tour Dan Sieg said. “Physical verbal, and psychological are ones of the past, but the one that we face today that is the biggest issue it seems is cyberbullying, usually done through some sort of social media. Here’s the thing, it is so easy to get behind a computer screen and just start talking trash, even if you think it’s in all good fun. The problem is there is someone behind that computer screen just like you, reading the words in their own voice, and, trust me when I say this, words matter.”