Hi, I am a 22 year old girl from Norway, and this is my story.. (Just so you can follow the story, here is some facts about the Norwegian school-system.. Here in Norway we start school in August the year we turn 6 years old, which is first grade too us, and lasts about 10 months to june following year. After the 10th grade, when we turn 16, we go to a 2 or 3 year school that is just about what want to study, something like a junior college or something, but this is optional to go too but also smart so you can get a job) 

During my 2th grade we sold our house and moved to a different part of town, but I got to finish my grade before I moved to a different school. When I started 3 grade at my new school I quickly made good friends and life was pretty good, I was 8 years old then btw. I got a new best friend, lets call her Ellie, and we got really close and was together aaall the time.
In 5th grade, we got three new girls in our class, I'll call them Molly, Mary and Janet, and at first we all got along really well, but soon some started to make little clicks. And it wasn't hard to see who had more money and who had the "better" looks. Neither Ellie or I was one of them.. We got along with Janet, and she also fell on the outside, so we only had each other. Soon the whole class turned on us, mostly me because I have always been the chubby one, but since they chose to be my friends they also had to endure it..
Mary was the worst, her parents had alot of money, and she always had the newest of everything and she bought things to the others all the time, so of course she was very popular and what she said was the law. Also one of the "original" girls Carla was extreme, she and Mary quickly became bestfriend with eachother and also some of the girls in grade above us.

Like it almost always is if you are a group of three, one becomes pushed aside. That happened sometimes with us also, but after we started 6th grade it got uglier. I can't remember why they started hating me, but somehow they did. Janet convinced Ellie to ditch me and to become friends with the other girls instead. I had the whole class against me, plus the girls in 7th grade.
They shoved me whenever they got the chance, yelled out nasty comments to me, froze me out, followed me home, beat me, wrote things about me around the town, threatened me and said they would kill me if I told anybody.. I have to add that Ellie was never a part of anything, but sadly she didn't stop it either..

After a few months I stopped going to school, first I lied to my mom and said I had stomach problems for a couple of weeks, I even threw up on purpose many times a day so she would believe me. After a while I had to go back, so I got dressed and ready for school everyday, but never went. I was hiding on a playground in school hours and went home like nothing was wrong. Pretended to go out to meet friends all the time, and even faked a couple of sleepovers, I just slept outside..
The school eventually called my parents, and I had to go back, but I just said it was because I was sick of school. I was to afraid to tell anyone what was happening..
When I got back to school it was like nothing had changed, they were just as mean as always. One day the teacher was sick so we just got assignments to do by ourselves, and Mary and Carla and some of the other girls cornered me and started to kick and yell at me.
Then they took lots of paper with soap on it and started to shove it in my face and in my mouth. Ellie got sick of them and got in the middle and got me out of there and went to a teacher to get help..

It took a while, but I forgave her and started to hang out with her again. Soon it was us against the world, sure we got invited to birthdays but I think that was the parents and not the girls. They stopped being so extreme, but they still made many comments when the adults didn't pay attention. I started to like this guy and we hung out a lot, but we had to keep it a secret because he was afraid they would turn on him too..

In 7th grade my big sister got very sick, she had a sickness called Cystic Fibrosis and after having a baby she got worse, and in November she was picked up by the ambulance because she stopped breathing. She was on a respirator for a while, but on December 7, 2003 she passed away :/ When I went back to school almost everybody treated my different, they were nice to me, and was glad it was all over because I was so fragile then. But it didn't last very long, about a week later they started again.
They started picking on me because of my sister and because I was sad over it. It was back to only having a couple of friends, only two in my class and a few from some grades under.. That's when I started to hurt myself, it started with punching things or banging my head against the walls, and it escalated quickly to cutting and burning myself. I didn't know why I did it, but I knew it was bad, so I hid it and tried to hide it from everyone..

When we started 8th grade, it was at another school, and we got separated into three classrooms together with another class. I was hopeful that this was going to be different, but I soon understood that this was going to be worse. Because the ones who was in a grade over us, also went to this school.
The new class from the other school quickly became good friends with Mary, Carla and their "followers", and they learned fast when it came to me and Ellie. It escalated fast, and they joined the girls from the grade above again, threatening us, following us and waiting for us after school.
We had to be escorted home and my dad also had to meet us one time we went to the mall because they were there to and they were waiting for us on the outside.
Two days later they met Ellie on her way home from school and they started pushing her around but she ran away and got home, I went to her place later in the evening because we were going to tell her mother about it, we were sick of it all. She was going to talk to my father about it the day after, and they were going to go to the school, they were sick too..
On my way home from Ellie that night, I met Carla and some of the older girls and they started pushing me and spitting on me and one of the girls bitch-slapped me too. I ran home, and of course my dad understood something was wrong, so I told him what happened. The next day he followed me to school and talked to the principal, he was pretty pissed. Not long after one of the older girls got kicked out of school, and the other girls got the message, they mostly backed of.

When we started 9th grade Mary changed schools, and thing got a lot better, a little bit at least.. They still made comments and tried to freeze us out, but we did get some friends at least. I think they got tired of it at last, but some of them had to throw out a comment or two all the time.
It looked like I didn't care, but I cried myself to sleep every night and I cut myself a lot. I thought about suicide a lot, but I couldn't do that to my mom, she had already lost one child..
I had a boyfriend, the same boy I fell in love with in 6th grade, but we still kept it a secret, he was ashamed of being seen with me other than as "pity-friends" as he called it many times. I had to sit and watch him flirt with the popular girls, he said that he had to make the others think he was interested in them so we wouldn't be caught. I finally got rid of him, and then my old friend from when we were little started in our class.
He quickly became one of "them", but he liked me. And after a few weeks, we got together, and he actually was proud of it and didn't try to hide me! To bad he was a complete jerk, and both cheated and beat on me, but I let him like I had everyone else. We broke up eventually and he dropped out of school and started using drugs.

Over the summer Ellie and I lost contact and stopped talking to each other, but I had made a few friends in the grade below when we started 10th grade. We stuck together, but started to experiment with weed and some pills, but most of them stopped within a year. I on the other hand started to hang with the wrong crowd and started letting boys use me and smoked a lot of weed and took many different pills.
I still cut myself to, and I went to a shrink to try to get help without luck. I straitened up on my own, stopped hanging out with the wrong crowd and stopped with drugs. But I couldn't stop with cutting, and it's not until now I finally can say that I have been free from that for a year!

Many people still talk about me to this day, and I don't have the most friends in the world, but the ones I have are worth their weight in gold!
I also have the man of my dreams and we are getting married next year♥
Many people see me as bitchy, and I come of as arrogant sometimes, but that is only because I am so afraid they wont like me for me so I rather they hate me without knowing me.
I am still working on myself, I got torn down for so many years so I know it will take many years of hard work to build me back up.
But I'm trying my best, and I have made some progress at least..

Sorry for the long story, but I couldn't get it shorter.. I hope my story can help people who is living trough bullying, or maybe help bully's understand what they are doing to someones life. We have to stand together to fight this vicious thing, bullying destroys so many people, we have to do something!
Thank you for taking the time to read my story!

I want people (children and adults alike) that they don't have to take or tolerate bullying.  From anyone.  You are a unique individual, we all are, and that makes each one of us special.  There is nothing wrong with you.  Be proud of who you are.  You have as much self worth as anyone else.  I am not telling you that you have to engage in physical fighting with a bully.  But you can and should stand your ground.  It really isn't difficult.  You put your pants on the same way that they do, and they are no better than you are.  You are important.  If you need help, don't hesitate to reach out to your friends, your parents, your minister, your teachers, and there are bullying organizations out there that are more than willing to help.  But don't feel that you need to do this alone, because you don't.  Don't close yourself off from friends and family and others who want to help.  I don't want you to become a statistic.  I am here for you, too!  And to the bullies out there - I know why you do this.  Because your friends tell you to or you won't be cool.  Knock it off, stop it and get help for yourself, for your anger management or whatever it takes.  There is no happy ending for you in this either.  Unless jail appeals to you or expulsion does.  You also bully others because of your own insecurities.  You can get the help that you need as well, you just need to admit you're wrong and accept your discipline/punishment and change for the better.  You can do it!  There are people that care out there.

Unfortunately, bullying is not a new concept.  I am 52 years old, and even when I was back in school, it existed.  My father was a school principal and a school superintendent.  My older brother and some of his friends used to bully my twin sister and tried to bully me.  My twin was always scared and upset because of it, but when they tried to bully me, I just got angry and fought back.  I wasn't going to allow them to get the better of me.  And there were other kids that tried to bully us because we were a "principal's kid."  Which really didn't seem fair somehow.  But my brother would never step up and protect us, so I had to defend myself.  I wasn't afraid of anyone, but I sure got tired of having to deal with it all of the time.  Sometimes, my father would deal with my brother and his friends over their bullying, but he was a very busy man workwise and he couldn't always take care of the problem, and then when he did, it was only temporary.  My daughter was also bullied in school and she didn't talk to me about it for a long time.  But when she did, I went to the principal until I got the problem resolved.  And I recently found out that my brother and my male cousin bullied others in school (they were popular in school and big football players) and it just makes me more angry at them, even now.  I suppose most of the kids that they bullied were afraid of them because of their size and strength.  Maybe my brother and cousin even threatened them, I don't know.

I have been bullied when I was in school. Because I was bullied I became a bully. When I was a bully it mad me fill like jerk and no one like me.  When I was a bully I would still get picked on. Then I stoped being a bully. The reason I would get bullied is because I had learning disabilities, get mad funny of my size, and how I talked. That is why I don't like seeing or hearing about kids being bullied. I have to say the person I bullied in school he is like my brother and best friend. Bully need to stop in school and in the world. I will like the movie. Thank you all for what you do!!

Hello my name is jawa, i'm 14 years old.

My story isn't sad because i never been bullied, i'm here (hoping) to help those how have a sad story.

my only experience it was back when i was 7 they didn't talk with me and they called me names, but that it!

when i became 9 and a half i stood for myself, and i want to help everyone how is thinking he or she is unwanted that they are in the wrong place that they ARE wanted and they ARE the right place, even if it hard or painful, you need to be brave because you have a bright future awaiting for you.

with all my love.

your (hopefully) friend ^_^

Hello my name is jawa, i'm 14 years old.

My story isn't sad because i never been bully, i'm here (hoping) to help those how have a sad story.

my only experience it was back when i was 7 they didn't talk with me and they called me names, but that it!

when i became 9 and a half i stood for myself, and i want to help everyone how is thinking he or she is unwanted that they are in the wrong place that they ARE wanted and they ARE the right place, even if it hard or painful, you need to be brave because you have a bright future awaiting for you.

with all my love.

your (hopefully) friend ^_^

People who know me now, as an adult, have a very hard time imagining me as an extremely shy, quiet little girl.  I loved school, loved everything about it, loved learning and loved reading; then I learned that other kids really hate quiet, smart, or different kids.  I learned that lesson from about 6th grade on, taught to me daily by my peers, mostly girls, but then the boys would join in.  I always tried to ignore the taunts, the faces, the jeering; I decided that maybe if I stayed out of their way, kept my head down, kept to myself, it would stop.  Of course, I was also scared and intimidated, and by no means confrontational.  I can't even count how many times Vicki chased me home from school.  I never ever told anyone; I couldn't imagine the nastiness getting worse.  I was a late bloomer, and didn't even try to stand up for myself; it became easier for me in high school (we graduated from 8th grade; elementary school was K-8), and then went to H.S. in the nearby town, so there were a LOT more kids.  It was like starting over for me.  I came out of my shell little by little, and made some very good friends, restoring my belief in people.  I left the others in the dust; never looked back.  Even now, 35 years later, with the explosion of social media, I still refuse to acknowledge those that tormented me.  I find it unbelievable that they actually continue to send me friend requests, and try to approach me and speak to me at reunions, etc.!  My feeling? I don't need your "friendship" now-that little girl who stuffed so much inside to act like nothing was wrong? She REALLY needed a friend.

As an adult, and now as a mom, I refuse to ignore bullying. I refuse to remain disengaged, and blissfully unaware.  I have to be the anti bullying role model for my child! He needs to see me stepping in, and speaking up when I see something that is wrong, not just hear me giving lip service.  I encourage him always to stand by the kid that is being picked on.  

I still remember exactly how I felt all those years ago-the embarrassment, the pain, the loneliness.  It's amazing how fresh it still feels.  I want to spare all kids from feeling that way.  And so, I get involved. He has seen me step in; he has seen me speak up, and he has seen me get told off.  The important thing is that he has seen me ACTUALLY doing something.

have been bullied for around 6 years. I started at a new school and I didn't know anyone But I was happy cause know one would pick on me. I was so pretty people said. So about 1 month after school I was talking to a guy named L and in math class one day during a test we looked at each other and he held up a peice of paper asking me out I said yes. But we had to break up. And people started calling me a slut. After that guys thought I was a slut and guys started to touch me in a wrong way and then got sexually harassed. So people called me a slut even more I got another boyfriend about 4months after (jordan) people started calling me a whore,slut because I dated 2 guys. people would push me to the ground and shove me into lockers even my best friend.i got beat up by my best friend. (I was being sexually assaulted at this time) So around Christmas time on Instagram someone made a hate page calling me fat,ugly,whore,bitch. I was sad. And started to cutting. It helped I guess. It was christmas break and 3 other hate pages like that came on. An then I cut more. my parents found out and I stopped for a little while. Cuz I didn't talk to anyone. But when Christmas break was over I went back to school. And then everyone was nice. But 3 weeks after I got a note In my locker telling me to go die. And calling me a whore. One of the guys said I did things for him when I didn't, thing I would never imagine doing. I would walk down the hall and people would cough whore or slut. I would be told to die by people I was once friends with. I started cutting again. And the bulling got worse the week before spring break I got in a fight with one of my friends and they told me to go die and I was a slut and know one liked me. So that night I got a lot of hate and I was home alone. I went down to the med cabinet and grabbed a lot of bottles of pills. And went to my room and took them. I sat on my bed for a couple of hours after 30mins I regretted it and was feeling sick and dizzy and I passed out......(wasn't the first time I tried to kill myself) but when my dad came to wake me up the next morning I woke up. And went to school and I was feeling so sick and my best friend J asked what was wrong. I told her what I did and told her to keep it a secret and she couldn't cuz I was falling over in pain. She told the councilor and I was called into the office and they asked what I did last night and told them. And my mom came and got me and said I never had to go back to that school again. I went home. My parents told my family. I saw how much the cared my brother cried. I didn't go to school for 3 weeks. then i went to a new school and everything was great! everyone loved me. i met this guy name Max. he was so sweet i started crushing on him the min. i met him. but everyone crushed on me. i was told so many times that i am pretty. i made so many friends and after a month it got bad i got into the wrong crowd....but i was happyish. max dated my best friend there, but he was crushing on me at the same time. they broke up and everyone blamed me and know one knew why they broke up. so i was getting sad again. but then max got another girlfriend named liz. she was a bad bad girl. liz and i were friends quite close. she took a dirty picture on my phone so when she was mean to me i posted it on instagram and she got mad so i deleted it. once they broke up, she walked up to us and saw us huge and got pissed and walked away and then in the middle of the day close to the end she came up to me in the hall and everyone gathered around and she called me a f***ing bitch and then i said at least i did take a picture of .... but then i saw someone recording it so i started to walk away and she ran at me and jumped me. i got up i could have hit her but i just walked away. she got kicked out but people got mad at me for not hitting back. i was made fun of for it, so i started cutting again. but then Max saw my arm and made me stop. but people would bully me. since liz got kicked out her friend beth came up to me in gym and pushed me against the wall and hit me and pulled my gauge out (I had gauges but they weren't big, I took them out) it hurt then i got in trouble for no reason. people called me a whore and a slut and that i was a man stealer. that i was a pussy and worse..... max and i started to date we lasted around 7 months and it was good. he and i broke up cause he cheated on me...so he broke my heart. We dated over the summer and the beginning of the new school year. I left his school to go to a different school so he and I didn't see each other much. I like my new school better then my old one, I am on the cheer team now, I have a lot of friends I still get picked on a little. I love mu school and and I don't cut p.s more happened just didn't say But for all those who are getting bullied I promise things do get better!

It all started when I was 11, or maybe even before then. But I became fully aware that what was happening to me wasn't normal at the age of 11, it was bullying. I was constantly teased, pushed around, laughed at and at times spat on. I have convinced myself that this happens to everyone, that it's just a part of being a kid, a part of being in school, a part of growing up. 

When I became fully aware that this was bullying, I decided that enough is enough. I started standing up for myself, stopped people from stepping all over me. But then that led to getting into trouble for all the fights I got into, for defending myself, and eventually that led to being bullied by different members of staff. They humiliated me, destroyed what was left of my confidence and even worse, made me believe that I would never succeed in life. 

Everyday I entered the gates to my school, I would be verbally abused, this time not only by the students, but also by the staff. Everyday, I would have someone pull my headscarf off my head at least 10 times a day. The whole school was against me. I had no one. I made my parents believe that I was fine, that I have friends that I went to my classes. When the truth was I was not fine, I was dying inside, I did not have friends, I spent my break and lunch hiding out in the toilets and that the teachers did everything they could to put me in isolation instead of putting me in my classes. 

At the age of 13, 2 girls from my year approached me. They offered me a shoulder to cry on, they offered me their heart, their friendship. Just when I felt like I had nothing to live for, just when I was about to end my life God sent me my best friends. Even though I was still being bullied, I had them. They stood by my side, they made me laugh, they made me feel like someone. I didn't feel like an outcast anymore. 

But the years of abuse from that school did have an outcome to it, I became a lot angrier, I became more violent and I turned off my humanity. I started fighting everyone, both students and teachers; somehow hoping to get suspended from my school. My best friends still stuck by my side. Eventually my parents found out how miserable I was. That's when they decided to move me to a different high school. One where I felt safer, where I can be me, where I had support from both students and staff. I was still angry, but I managed to channel all my anger and violence into my art. Drawing and designing has become the source of relief.

Fast forward to today, I'm a 20 year old student, studying Interior Design at a University in London, I have pushed myself to become a better person, and what fuels me everyday are the hurtful words that my teachers used to say to me, "you're nothing", "you'll never succeed in life", "you won't make it to University".

Well look who's laughing now. I'm stronger, more confident, proud Muslim woman and with the greatest support team, my family and friends. I've never given up on life from that point, and my number one priority has become helping people who are struggling with bullying. It might not seem like a serious issue to some people, but they clearly don't know the level of impact that has one a kid. 

I don't know if anyone out there is reading this, but no matter who you are, you do have someone out there and everything will be okay. Don't let others bully you and don't let others bully anyone around you. Become a community, become the voice of the voiceless, AIM FOR SUCCESS! 

My name is Nora and this is my story. Have a nice day and God bless

When I was a little kid, I looked up at everything bigger then me, which was just about everything, and thought life was the most amazing thing. When you're younger, all you have to worry about is falling down and scraping a knee, because quite frankly, nothing else seems to matter. As the years went by my love for life slowly lessened. I wasn't as amused by the little things, like I used to be. Going to school was something I dreaded everyday. School wasn't like how it used to be. Instead of drawing in coloring books and seeing who could count the highest, you have to deal with non stop drama. One story that I will always remember occurred in 6th grade. It was my birthday and it was also the homecoming football game for our school. I was so excited, my birthday was always my favorite day of the year. I was walking around the field so excited, having people come up to me and wish me a happy birthday. A group of around 5 girls stopped me, and said happy birthday Hannah. I thought it was weird because they never talked to me before. Then they said they got me a present and handed me a bracelet. I was really excited because I thought they wanted me to be part of there 'popular' group. But I turned the bracelet so it faced me and written on it was the word 'worthless'. They all started giggling and said I thought I should give it to you, I mean you are worthless. And every birthday since that one, i've dreaded. I was always so worried something would happen. The day I get to celebrate just for me, was ruined by some popular girls in 6th grade. Another one of my experiences had to do with the website ask.fm I thought it was cool to go on that website, you got to ask people questions and figure out what they thought about you. At first, I loved how you could ask questions on anonymous. But then I started getting hate like, you filthy whore. And one day I went to go visit my grandpa in the hospital. I pulled up the website and my newest question was "Do us all a favor and kill yourself". I was struggling with suicidal thoughts to begin with and they just added to it. But talking to people, you learn, you're not the only one going through this. It doesn't matter if they have it worse or better, you're all going through something and it really just sucks. But having people there for you that you can talk to whether it be a parent, a support group, a friend, a teacher, or psychiatrist, it really helps to just let your feelings out. Maybe you don't like talking about your feelings to other people. That's when you pull out a journal and write down everything that's bothering you on a piece of paper. When I did that I always use to tear it up afterwards and think of all those feelings going away as I tore it up. But I can promise you. Whether you believe it or not, people love you and cherish you and would do anything for you. Even when you're at your lowest point, you can always get back up and keep on fighting.