While I have not been personally bullied, I certainly understand its impact on one’s life. My older brother, Adam, was diagnosed with high-functioning Autism at a young age. I looked up to my brother. While most older siblings act in a peremptory manner, Adam was quite the opposite. We got along perfectly; he was a passive sweetheart, always looking out for others’ best interests above his own. I did not see this as the anomaly that it was. To my underdeveloped brain, he was a normal older brother. Over time, I eventually realized something was awry. Adam and I attended the same elementary school; I was in second grade and he in fifth. Because he was considered “high-functioning”, my parents decided to put him into a normal, mainstream school.
One afternoon I waved goodbye to my gaggle of friends and found Adam. Together, we walked toward our mother’s embarrassing minivan amongst the sea of “cool” Escalades and Hummers. An enormous bruise on Adam’s leg caught my eye. I nervously asked him what had happened; I always feared he would be bullied and taunted at school. Filled with chagrin, he explained that another boy in his class beat him up for speaking “funny”, wearing his pants too high, and wearing glasses. A great feeling of protectiveness washed over me; I had a huge desire to find this boy and kick him where it counted. However, Adam pleaded that I keep it a secret, so I abided.
We climbed into our mom’s car and drove home without another word about the fight. At home, however, my parents noticed Adam’s leg. He claimed that he ran into a desk. To my surprise, my parents bought his excuse and moved on. When Adam was out of sight, I sprung at the chance to reveal the truth. I broke my promise to Adam, but I felt it was worth it; I knew this could not go on. My parents thanked me what seemed a million times. They confronted Adam and he finally admitted it! Thus, my parents contacted the school and took care of the bullying issue. Most importantly, Adam learned to defend himself and tell someone when he is having a bullying problem. No one, including my brother, deserves to be physically or mentally harmed by another, nor should they tolerate it. Though Adam gave me the silent treatment for a few hours after divulging his secret, I never regretted it. Adam used to dread going to school every single day, living in fear of the next torturous bully, barely speaking at all throughout the day to avoid torment. Now, however, he can confidently attend any school or social event with no reservations.