Can Students Make Kindness Cool By Cristina Maza

As Benjamin Disraeli once said, “Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.” Bullying is a form of abuse that can be emotional or physical. Many children and teen’s are bullied at school every day. Some of these victims become depressed and lose interest in their schoolwork. The effects of bullying on a young person can last well in adulthood. Bullying in schools is a serious issue that has garnered much attention from researchers, educators, and policymakers. In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards empowering students to develop and implement anti-bullying initiatives in their schools. The article "Bullying Prevention: Can Students Make Kindness Cool?" by Cristina Maza is a superior article that highlights the importance of this

According to Maza, “in 2012 some 20 percent of highschool students reported experiencing bullying, according to Federal data compiled on StopBullying.gov - the figure jumps from 28 percent when middle school students are included. (Maza 7). This has a strong significance because it provides statistics from the government website and is clear and relates to the topic. Then he proceeds to provide reasoning in paragraph 7 and 8. While that shows clear evidence, referring to Mr. Waletich, this does not. As he proceeds to say, “We knew based (on) research that this had to be a student-led effort. The days of having schools initiate things without the buy-in of the students are over. We had to capture the students' voices.” (Maza 3). This is a weak piece of evidence because he put this piece of personal experience around the start of the article and this evidence is not really relevant to the topic at

For example, some educators may argue that students are not equipped to develop and implement effective anti-bullying strategies, and that adult-led initiatives are necessary to address the issue. Additionally, some critics may argue that students may be reluctant to intervene in bullying situations, and that empowering them to do so may create additional problems. However, Maza's article provides evidence that counters these claims. For example, she notes that student-led anti-bullying initiatives have been successful in many schools across the country, and that they have helped create a culture of kindness and respect. Additionally, Maza cites research that shows that students are more likely to intervene in bullying situations when they are trained and empowered to do