Using kindness to battle bullying and abuse

School may be dismissed, but bullying can still be happening.

A local Ocean Springs woman has taken her past experiences and now helps educate students on the harm bullying can cause individuals.

- school may be dismissed, but- bullying can still be - happening.

A local ocean spring- woman has taken her - past experiences and now help - educates students of the- harm bullying can cause - individuals.- news 25's grace boyles brings u- more.

- - a "choose kindness" sign- hanging in the ocean springs- love shack bar and grill has- more meaning behind it than - simply encourgaing- people to be nice to one- another.- - - - karen horn, mrs. mississippi- international 20-20, lives by - those words in her pursuit of - helping put an end to bullying.- karen horn, mrs. mississippi- international 2020: "my passion- - - - is stopping bullying and abuse- in schools.

Our children are- dying and i think many people - don't realize that."- schools aren't the only place - abuse is happening.

- social media and cellphones,- have led to faceless bullying a- people hide behind screens.

- karen horn, mrs. mississippi- international 2020: - "cyberbullying has- just hit the roof.

We have abou- 73 percent of children admit to- - - - being cyberbullied."

Bullying - can take many forms including - mental, emotional, and- physical abuse -- all of which- horn has personal - experience with.- karen horn, mrs. mississippi- international 2020: "i started- - - - being abused when i was five- years old and it was.

.

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It- escalated from being-- i was- physically- abused, i was abused in every - way you can imagine.

I was- picked on relentlessly.

I - remember that in sixth grade tw- girls held my arms behind my- back in the bathroom- while a girl punched me in the- stomach.

And i sat in the - - - - bathroom and cried for about- five minutes."- grace boyles, news 25: "after - years of suffering from abuse,- horn has found a- simple way to combat bullying:- choosing kindness.

Whether that- means not letting - someone sit alone at lunch or - saying hi to the new kid."- karen horn, mrs. mississippi- international 2020: "we need to- teach our - children how to be kind.

We nee- to teach them, hey, it's not- right to make fun - of someone because they're- different because we are all th- same we you get - down to the nuts and bolts of - it."- horn travels to local schools,- educating students on the - definition of bullying, the - different types of bullying, an- how to prevent it.- karen horn, mrs. mississippi- international 2020: "it's easie- to be kind- than to be hateful.

It's just - like it's easier to smile than- to frown."- in ocean springs, grace boyles,- news 25.- - - -