“There’s enough heartache and sorrow in this life without our adding to it through our own stubbornness, bitterness and resentment.” That’s the message of Mormon leader Dieter F. Uchtdorf in a powerful new video that aims to put an end to bullying.
The short film, created Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and starring Utah teens, strikes a modern chord because it depicts high school students as victims of cyber-bullying, a behavior that’s unfortunately becoming more and more common. In 2011, the National Crime Prevention Council found that cyber-bullying affects almost half of all American teens. And sadly, the consequences can be quite serious. A new study published by the journal JAMA Pediatrics, found that children who have been cyber-bullied are three times as likely than other kids to have thoughts of suicide. As the Los Angeles Times reports, between 5 and 8 percent of American teenagers try to kill themselves each year.
MORE: The Brilliant But Simple Way This Teacher Stops Bullying
In the video, Uchtdorf teaches us the two simple but powerful words that we all should know when it comes to bullying: “When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following – stop it.” Those words couldn’t be any more true today.
This Anti-Bullying Video Teaches Us the Power of Two Simple Words
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