Reflection: From Teasing to Torment

This article states the results of a survey taken by kids ages 13-18 and their teachers about harassment in schools. I wish I could say the results are startling but they did not surprise me at all.  The article states that 65% of teens have been harassed in school, most commonly for the way they look but a close second is their perceived sexual orientation.  These facts do not surprise me because I went to high school.
Most of my friends were scrawny artsy type guys and every single one of them had been harassed even beaten up by a bigger older and meaner guy at some point.  Sometimes in lunch we would take our trash and make a sculpture on the lunch table. It was fun and silly and we would laugh and take pictures, unless, of course, one of those other guys happened to see us, they would walk over and knock down the sculpture say "fags".  If we tried to say something or stand up for ourselves, they would make a physical threat We would always look around for teachers and most of the time, they wouldn't see it.
 We were part of the 57% the article mentions that experience harassment but do not report it. Maybe students like this believe it is just part of life and they have to learn to accept it. The article states that most kids believe teachers wouldn't do anything about it and that the harassment would continue, and from experience I know this is true.
How can we stop this viscous cycle? I think the best way is awareness. Meaning not only every teacher but every student should be on the look out for harassment.  The people who are harassing have to be in the minority as compared to those who want it to stop, therefore, the majority needs to become aware and work together to make the general feeling of schools to be that this is not okay and will not be tolerated by anyone.