Long Island Teen Pushing For Everyone To Stop Using Hurtful Word

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A teenage girl on Long Island is pushing for everyone to stop using a hurtful word.

The word that Emma Wyss wants people to stop using begins with the letter "R." She says it hits close to home because her 8-year-old brother is a special needs student.

Emma tells WCBS 880's Sophia Hall that she's campaigned for the past four years at her school in Bay Shore and her fellow classmates have signed pledges to never use the word.

"I've gotten mostly responses from people who have used it and they didn't know that it was hurtful and now that they know that it's hurtful, they feel really bad that they ever said it," she said. "I guess it makes me feel good that people are realizing what they did was wrong now that they know that it's hurtful, they're not going to use it anymore."

The 13-year-old says she began the campaign to end the "R" word four-years ago.