Bullying is the word of the day in Hollywood -- a hot topic that actors have been coming out of the woodwork in droves to speak out against, even while still dealing with it in their private lives.
Like many of Hollywood's brightest young starlets, "Wizards of Waverly Place's" Selena Gomez was taunted by her middle school classmates for daring to try to be a successful child actress.
"I was definitely picked on in school, I was definitely made fun of for being in the industry," the 18-year-old says, pointing out that she "didn't have it as bad as it is now" for kids, though.
Homeschooling "did help for a minute, but then I got into this industry, and it kind of came back up again," she says.
This time, from a surprisingly different crowd.
Now, "I get criticized by adults who say awful things about me on the Internet, things that affect me that I try not to read," she says, referring to gossip about her love life and feuds with friends that's been spread over the years.
With this in mind, it's no surprise that dealing with bullying has always been an undercurrent on "Wizards," a TV show targeted at the demographic most susceptible to the practice: tweens.
This season, which premieres on Nov. 12, fans will see an episode where Gomez's quirky younger TV brother, played by Jake T. Austin, has to figure out what to do about being pushed around in school.
Considering the series is a comedy, Gomez points out, "It's something that we've addressed in a lighter way . . . we can't be that dark on our show."
In the midst of shooting the fourth season of the show, Gomez says that she is uncertain about whether there will be a fifth season.
"The only reason I say that is because our characters are getting older -- technically my older brother on the show [David Henrie] should be in college, and I should be in my senior year [of high school]," Gomez says.
"We're all growing up, so I'm not quite sure where the show would go. I would really just hope that the show would end on a strong note and not just be something that we would piece together."
While Gomez waits for Disney to make the final call, she's looking forward to shooting the second "Wizards" TV movie next year and heading out on her first headlining tour to support her recently released second CD.
If certain shows came knocking, she would also eke out some time for guest-starring roles, too.
"I would love to guest on 'The Big Bang Theory,' " she says. "I absolutely love that show, and everyone on it is so talented. 'Mad Men' would be really fun -- my mom loves that show."
Although she's officially an adult now, Gomez says that she isn't in a rush to actually grow up.
"I turned 18, but I feel 15," she says. "My heart is still very young . . . I've always been very independent, but I don't think I'm ready to leave the house or do anything dramatic that normal 18-year-olds would do."
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