An estimated 20% of high school students reported being bullied on school property in 2009, according to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On a worldwide scale, the CDC conducted a study in 27 countries and discovered the majority of school-aged children had encountered bullying at least some of the time.

Practicing lawyer, Wendy Starr, discusses the power behind words from a biblical and practical position. Bullying, she says, begins with our words.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, is a lie. Just look at the rate of suicides from bullying in our society. How-to-stop-bullying.com reports that 77% of students are bullied mentally, verbally, and physically. In 2008, Dr. Judy Fisher-Blando’s research determined that 75% of employees have experienced or witnessed workplace bullying. Whether we like it or not, words affect others.”

Starr’s book, Your Words, emphasizes the impact our words can have on our lives. As evidenced by bullying statistics, words can and do hurt. Starr teaches the counter impact of words, the possibility of words used to build, encourage, and empower.

“Words can destroy you or they can transform you because they are your words or the words of another, produce either faith or fear. Your words come from your heart. What is in your heart is what you have sowed and what you have allowed others to sow there.”