Blog by Candis & Daphne: It's Time to Break Boundaries

Let's talk about something serious. Bullying. It happens in school, most of the time, and some kids hate school because of that. Students who like studying would stop going to school because they're avoiding the bullies. Those who have higher risk for bullying are kids who are obese or disabled, who identify as LGBT or who have fewer peers of the same ethnicity within their school. Some say it's no big deal, because after graduating, you can start a new life. It really isn't. It's a big deal.

"In addition to causing depression and anxiety and leading to alcohol and drug abuse into adulthood, the harmful effects of bullying manifest themselves physically in kids and teens by disrupting their sleep, causing gastrointestinal issues and headaches. Researchers also noticed that bullying causes changes in the stress response system of the brain, affecting cognitive function and self-regulating emotions. Children who are bullied as well as those who bully others are more likely to contemplate or attempt suicide. Bullies themselves are negatively impacted by their own behavior. They are more likely to be depressed, are at great risk for poor psychological and social outcomes and are more likely to engage in high-risk activities such as vandalism and theft (CNN)."

Penshoppe has a new campaign about bullying, where it unites all the individuals who have been bullied or are bullies because they are different. It's now time to break that boundary that pushed us to have groups and exclude people who are different. It's time for inclusivity. We love the new "I am different" shirts by Penshoppe because it addresses the problem, and we can even wear them out since it's also super basic and in style.

If you're being bullied, show strength within you. Do not avoid the bullies because it shows weakness, and that makes the bullies stronger.