Not being able to sit with a group at lunch. Being made fun of for no-name brands. Gossip whispered through the halls. Bullying seemed to be a common issue throughout middle and high school. The main message was “don’t do it and stand up for those that are bullied.” But, does bullying still exist at the collegiate level? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Students may experience bullying in the form of intense peer pressure, hazing, and online targeting. Girls have it especially tough as they face immense pressure to look and act a certain way.

Ladies on North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University’s campus weighed in on female bullying:

“Girls are always in competition with each other. If it’s not about who has the best outfit, it’s about who has the best hair,” said senior, business management student, Christen Johnson. “Not a lot of girls encourage each other.” 

“Other than bullying as a whole being wrong and despicable, for women it is much different,” said junior, multimedia journalism, student Taqiyyah Shabazz. “As a young woman who experienced verbal bullying throughout secondary school, it is definitely a task to get over.”

“Most bullies are cowards    because they wouldn’t want the  bullying     reciprocated to them,” said Alyssa Williams, a mechanical engineering student.

A victim who wishes to remain anonymous was willing to share her story. B, an athlete on one of N.C A&T State University’s sports teams said that she enjoys playing her sport, although, she does wish things were different. B said that during practices when the girls are learning new things she and the other girls feel discouraged when they ask an older girl a question and the other girls just laugh.

“It discourages us from asking questions and trying to get help,” B said. 

B said that the girls do a lot of hazing, such as making the new girls do simple things, such as holding bags and getting stuff from their cars. Sometimes this hazing has physical consequences.

“They sometimes make us do extra ‘punishment’ by running more,” said B.

This type of behavior can make girls question being on the team. It can also be difficult for students because in some cases they may not have family close by to support them, and the pressure of college can be stressful to deal with. According to a Health Day News study in 2012, 15 percent of college students studied reported being bullied. 

“It makes me feel like I’m not part of the team,” B said. “They have their cliques.”

Although B does not like the bullying on the team, she does suggest a way to change the team dynamics. 

 “Some team bonding sessions would help,” B said. “I think if we had some time to get to know each other instead of being thrown into things, we’d be better off,” she said. 

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the victim.

-Email Laci at [email protected] and follow her on twitter @laci_ollison

• Cornisha Williams & Kristen Shipley Register Contributors