LEE COUNTY, Fla., - A local teenager is hoping to put a stop to bullying.
Victoria Jacko and several friends from Oasis Middle are making a short film to spread awareness about bullying.
“It bothers me so much. It's one of the things i can’t stand,” said Victoria Jacko, 13.
“The first time I was bullied, I believed i was everything the person was saying. I believed i was a failure and I couldn’t do anything, and i couldn’t get anywhere in life.”
Jacko says she is acting in the short film that’ll show what bullying is like from a kid’s perspective.
"When you bully someone you don't know what happens at home, what happens anywhere. You can just be piling on more and more stress and sometimes it can push kids to end their life.”
Counselors say bullying usually starts with small acts of aggression.
According to counselors, parents should know their kids may initially hint they've been bullied in the form of physical stress. If the bullying isn’t addressed, the stress can go well beyond the school years.
“It affects their self esteem, their self worth and later their relationships,” said Dr. Laura Streyffeler, a licensed mental health counselor in Fort Myers.
With that in mind, Jacko says she hopes her film helps kids understand they are cared for, and should speak up if they’re a victim of bullying.
Jacko says she plans to release her short film on YouTube sometime this November.
