When I was a kid growing up on the tough streets of Summit Hill, bullying was a way of life. I did my share of bullying, and some older kids would, among other things, make fun of my Italian heritage and my last name — “Brucie Frassinelli has a pimple on his belly.” They would also taunt me about my immigrant father who spoke broken English. Every day, they would call me derogatory names defaming my background.

The thought of running to my junior high school principal, Danny McLaughlin, or to my parents and complaining that older kids were picking on me was laughable. We didn’t do that in the Summit Hill of the late-1940s and 1950s or anywhere else in the Panther Valley.

But that was then, and this is now. I often wonder whether my bullying of others had any long-lasting impact on them or whether, subconsciously, I suffer any lingering effects from those who bullied me. The fact that I recall the unkind rhyme with my last name and those hurtful slurs 70 years later may be a clue.

I thought about how bullying is viewed today vs. when I was a kid. The Bangor Area School District in Northampton County recently agreed to pay $45,000 to the parents of a former student, who alleged that she was bullied over her sexual orientation, but the district did nothing about it.

The family claims they were ultimately forced to move to New Jersey to escape the taunting. At one point, the girl contemplated suicide, according to court papers. The suit said the girl’s classmates called her a “lesbian” and told her “you have a disease.” One even said, “Why don’t you go hang yourself?” the suit said.

There were some students in our school who were routinely called “homos,” “lesbians,” “dykes” or worse. Not one ever complained openly, but I remember the hurt in their eyes; some even cried, which brought on more taunting. Some students would be beaten up almost daily for the way they looked, talked or dressed.

“The same thing goes on today,” my teenage granddaughter told me.

As far as I can recall, no school district back then had a line item for paying out bullying suits. The difference today is that some parents and students are fighting back, as they should. Despite the millions of words written about it, the conferences held to address the issue, the tough policies that schools have put into place, bullying continues unabated.

Why do people bully others? Many have been bullied by their peers or even family members. They might feel insignificant, making them angry to the point of taking it out on others.

Sometimes a person feels the need for attention, so he or she turns to bullying to get it.

Bullies frequently lack self-esteem. To make up for this self-loathing, they might turn to inflicting pain on others as a way to make themselves feel better for the moment.

A bully might be jealous of another student’s success, friends or social standing. Cutting down such a person gives the bully temporary satisfaction.

Bullies often travel in groups, in part for protection but also because the bullying is amplified when others are aiming their collective taunts at a victim.

Some bullies have outsized egos. They fancy themselves as kings of the hill and will remain in that frame of mind until someone challenges them or dethrones them.

Last year, the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” aired to a mix of praise and condemnation. The story is about a 16-year-old girl, Hannah Baker, who was bullied after a sexual encounter and commits suicide. Before taking her life, Hannah distributed tapes to those she labeled as having contributed to her decision. The tapes contain 13 reasons why she did what she did.

On one hand, viewers applauded the series for raising awareness about youth suicide and how to spot warning signals. Mental health experts, however, believe the series simplifies suicide, which they say is a complex issue. They also fear that those dealing with mental illness or bullying will see suicide as their only option.

The controversy over the pros and cons of the series will no doubt continue since a second season is in production and is scheduled to air sometime during 2018.

Most schools have adopted anti-bullying policies. They also address harassment and intimidation. Bullying is defined as any act that physically harms a student, damages a student’s property or interferes with the student’s education.

These policies also seek to prevent a threatening educational environment.

All of us must take bullying seriously and not merely pay lip service to its consequences.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com