They have their eyes on you. You can sense them poised somewhere in a dark corner, ready to attack at any moment. You want to acknowledge it, to run and scream, but you’re in complete isolation. There seems to be no exits, there is no one to tell. You’re on your own, under attack, terrified that at any minute, your life may be over.  Sounds like a pretty good horror movie for this time of year, doesn’t it? This is the life that some children are living today.  

 Because of this, action has been taken in Omaha, Nebraska. This saving grace is labeled the #BeKind movement, and it has impacted many schools in the area. 

 Many schools have embraced this topic over the past couple of years, and they are now putting their own spin on things, continuing to carry out the same overall message.  

 “I think it has made schools into more welcoming and aware atmospheres,” 8th grader Caden Chadek said, “it has put them under one united principle.”  

 Currently over 35 schools are displaying the use of the movement in some form, and the number just keeps growing.  

“The #BeKind movement is a movement on remembering to not only be a kind person,” sophomore Grace Estrada said, “but also to remember that all words can or have affected someone, and what you say can build up or break down a person.”  

 This act encourages you to take things into your own hands, and let you know how you can change people’s lives around you.  

“I think for myself a way that I can help spread kindness is to simply be loving to others, accepting others and being their friend no matter race, belief, or even remembering to love people for who they are.” Estrada said, “I think its lessening the judgement and widening the thoughts of what my actions can do to help someone know they are cared for.” 

1 in every 3 children in the United States has at one time been bullied in their life. A staggering 70.6% of young people have witnessed one or more forms of bullying in their schools.  

“Bullying is such a huge problem that the #BeKind movement was very in need.”  Chadek said, “I think many kids are very lucky to have this in their schools.”  

People live in scary situations every day, and one of the scariest is bullying. Everywhere you go, they see, every tiny mistake is magnified, every misstep is recognized. You feel as though you cannot escape, until a ray of hope like the #BeKind movement changes your life.