Bullying is the ever growing stigma of the high school atmosphere in which the halls ooze with the stench of judgment, but this isn’t always the case.

Yamhill Carlton High school, a school with a more than average open mind. A community of 322 students and 44 staff members. Students have little to no trouble and are comfortable being themselves.

YC teacher of many hats, Jordan Slavish had some enlightening things to say on the topic at hand, bullying. Bullying is no longer physical, Slavish adds “it’s easier to do anonymously via online… I don’t see kids getting thrown around and pushed down the stairs or kids getting their backpacks dumped out, that’s not really a thing anymore. It’s mostly sneaky subversive stuff via an online setting…”  

Biology teacher and wrestling coach Sean Nonamaker said, “Kids when I was in high school if they got bullied, they only had to worry about it  for seven hours of school, they would go home and that was it…”

Nonamaker adds, “When I was in high school bullying was physical, now it’s more emotional… Now things have changed, not only is the poor kid getting it at school, they are getting it online… the kids can’t escape from it.”

“Bullying has gotten worse, it more malicious now… it’s emotionally malicious… now kids are committing suicide because of the malicious emotional attacks,” Nonamaker said.

Slavish continued in depth, “… I think that that’s dangerous because, one, its dramatically easier to do and, two, it’s much easier to remain anonymous and put stuff out there. It’s also not viewed as seriously by the perpetrator…if somebody is bullying somebody else face to face its very direct, the emotional pain and the damage they’re intending to inflict…”

Nonamaker truly believes that words hurt worse than actions.

Slavish added, “I believe that we have seen a culture shift in the course of the last three years, the school and student body mentality is dramatically different than it was when I first was hired here, the general attitudes of the student body are different,  they are generally more agreeable with each other…”

“I feel as though there is less division within the student body. That was a big night and day difference when I first showed up, there was very obviously different groups that didn’t get along very well, I think that still exists to a little extent but its no where near as black and white as it was when I first showed up.”

The two teachers had some amazing things to say on the topic, and went more in detail.

Who/ what makes a bully?

Slavish says, “… typically its someone who feels more powerful in a physical sense or mental sense or in a social sense…  they are generally really comfortable with who they are.”

Nonamaker says that bullying is not as as prevalent here as it is at other schools.

Slavish says, “I was impressed when i first came here, with the number of students who were comfortable with coming out with alternative sexualities… and I didn´t see them getting bullied and pushed around from it… I was really impressed by that, it surprised me actually.”

We should should pride ourselves each and everyone of us on our individuality and our ability to accept each other.  

We are YC!