Marge Piercy's Barbie Doll: The Impact On Teen Suicide

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King Jr. knew it was better to speak up than to stay quiet. This is a lesson that needs to be taught throughout both middle schools and high schools. All around the world, suicide rates are going up, and most of these cases relate back to bullying. The children often do not say anything because they are afraid the bullying will only get worse. When nothing changes, they are driven to suicide to relieve the pain that they are feeling. As Marge Piercy examines in “Barbie Doll,” students are picked on for being or looking different than others. No matter what type of bullying it may be, it hurts people more than they are willing to let on. All forms of bullying, whether it be in schools, physical, verbal, or online, have an impact on teen suicide ideation.

In recent years, suicide cases have been rising in numbers, especially among teenagers. Suicide is the act of killing oneself voluntarily. More often than not, people know someone who has attempted suicide or is active in suicide ideation. Suicide ideation is the forming of ideas or concepts involving suicide. The issue with this is that suicide ideation often goes unnoticed, making the person feel alone. Suicide is frowned upon in

Bullying has become associated with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. It has been found that victims of bullying are often left in a depressed state, causing suicidal thoughts and potential actions. Teens see that the pain they are feeling can go away with suicide, and the idea remains in their head (Litwiller & Brausch). According to the Center For Disease Control, victims of bullying have sleep difficulties, causing them to have problems in school. These kids are also more vulnerable to stomach aches and headaches due to the anxiety that comes from bullying ("Bullying Suicide