My name is Lisa Anne Chasten....I have been through every form of abuse that anyone can ever imagine, starting at the age of 7 years old. Then when I started going to school I started being bullied for being the foster child...the child in clothes that don't fit or smell good..the one that no mom or dad wanted ....I already acted shy and withdrawn because of the childhood abuse,rape,and attempts on my life. I went from home to home and school to school...I have been shoved into lockers, had rumours spread about me, called nasty names, been beaten by classmates,even picked on by school administrators even told by the adults in my life that were supposed to protect me that I was white trash and that I was worthless...this mindset has followed me into adulthood...I wind up with men who beat me and alot of adults in my life make fun of me and pick on me everyday...I don't know how to make the cycle stop...but I'm learning because my son is autistic ..lower spectrum Asperger's syndrome...he gets bullied sometimes too...he has had to start over at a new school every year since kindergarten...he is now in 5th grade...he said he is sick of changing schools and being the new kid at school...so I NEED to learn how to stop the bullying for me so I can help stop the bullying for my son Kaleb! I am always trying to reach out and help those who can't protect themselves....but I must learn how to protect my family and I from bullies!! I am so honored to be apart of the Bully Project!! Thanks for taking the time to read my story!

I am from SLC, Utah and from the moment I walked into Kindergarten, I knew that I had come into a whole new world to opportunities that I could pick and choose from. I was afraid to leave my mom at first being always around her. I came to the school and thought why not give it a chance to learn how to make friends. Well I guess I was more of a treat to them, why I didn't know, but I was told that because I am Mexican -American and go to their school, that I don't belong there. I came home to my dad and asked him, "Daddy, what's a dirty Mexican?" He spoke to my mom and she broke into tears. He went to Sister Kathleen and demanded that something be done about it and quick. His use of strength, courage, and the power of the use of proper English language made the difference. She was always very nice to me even before she knew what had happened. Bless her heart she took it very seriously, had the parent brought in and found out that guess what? It was the father of the boy who said those words and being 5 years old you really don't understand what that means. I am the kind of person who accepts who you are. I could care less about anything else. From then on there were some instances of bullying such as, "Why do you smell like beans? Why is your hair so funny looking? Why do you hang out with those geeks, you know, Frog face?" Why? Because that person is nice to me and he IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE "FROG FACE". I have stood on my own, on the ground and say my piece and you know what? I made it stop with the best words I could find. That was 27 years ago. I DID IT AND YOU CAN TOO!

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 lets bring it back too 6th grade she used too call me names , bully me alot ..... and at some point i couldn't take it .... so i started cutting .... yes i tried killing my self ive went to the hospital because of that i've had enough problems with my parents fighting all the time .-. she thinks she so cool , but bullying someone to the point they dont want to be in this world anymore is shit . . everyday with that thing ..... was just enough for me .... and cutting was just the only answer for me </3 ive talked to my counselor about it it helped for a while ... but they couldnt stop me from cutting ... my own principle coudnt do anything everytime someone mentions her name it just brings me back too that day ...... when all i did was too be caring and kind to her .... she doesnt know how much words hurt ... she was just a bully and stoped for a couple of monthes i dont know how people like that can live in this world but like her friend says who would love a girl with scars ... right ? no one .

 

In Grade 6, I everything was fine. I had friends, my family supported me in activities, and I was happy. I had no worries. Then that one day came. That day where everyone remembers. I was picked on. The popular kids did and still do like to mess with me because of who I am. Because I didn't want to be in their clique. I didn't want to be just another person in the group of that strive to be number one and be worshiped by everyone. So I was alone. My friends left the school from being bullied and I wanted to too, but I couldn't. I had to stay. There was a new girl that came along, and no one said a word to her. But I did. I was the first one to go up and say hello, because I was alone too.  After a while, she became the most important person in my life. She was the one that kept me confident even with people messing with me. She made me see that they are weaker. We were the most best of friends. No one else connected and bonded like her and I did. Until, when summer came. Poof. She was gone. She wanted to be a somebody, not like the nobody I am. She wanted to be number one, so she did. She left me for the people that don't care about her. I can see it everyday that she isn't as happy. I'm not either. She became best friends with the people that are my bullies. Probably one of the worst feelings you can get. Now I'm more edgier than I used to be. I wear dark clothes, when I used to wear colorful ones. I was he best student in my class, now my grades are dropping. They took my best friend and I changed. Those same people have been the bullies for years and years, but yet, everyone thinks they're angels. They are the perfect children and at the same time they're nothing like that at all. They call me names like 'bitch' 'emo' 'fag' 'low life' 'loser' and 'freak'. After a while, I started to believe it was all true. I thought my life wasn't going to amount to anything. I get told that I'm not good enough by my parents, people at school, and the rest of my family. No one likes me. I drifted away from my family, because all they saw now is, 'You will never be as perfect as your older sister' and 'No one wants to hear about you and your problems'. Those popular people hate me more than anyone else at the school. I've told my parents about my problems, they won't say anything. I've told the school so many times I've lost count, they put on that same fake smile every time and say 'stay away from them' or 'we will do all we can', but we know they won't. I put up papers around the school that said nothing's going to change unless we stand up and fight against it. The school had those papers taken down after we all left to go home that day. Now I look on people and what they do from the outside looking in. When you just stand back and observe what is going on, you can see things that no one else does.

 

I told one girl that I would make her put the words she said back in her mouth. She cursed at me, tried to tackle me and feel bigger. Lucky for me, I am strong and I wrestled her down away from school. She didn't mouth off to me anymore. You have to be willing to prove people wrong weather its physical or not. You have to know you are better than those people because why else would they be bringing you down to their level? They tell you that you have nothing to be depressed about, but they have never seen what really goes on behind the scenes. And sometimes things will take a bad turn, but no matter how many people give up on you, remember to never give up on yourself. 

My name is Channing and I am currently 26 years old. I have spent most of my life as a target because of instances that were completely out of my control. My parents divorced when I was 5 and to make ends meet my mother moved another woman into the house who worked with her. Everyone at school would pick on me and call my mother a lesbian. I had kids try to beat me up, but my mother was a police officer and always told me to fight back, and I always did. The teasing never stopped, but the other kids stopped trying to physically attack me. When I was 11 I developed psoriasis that was very visible and people would call me leper and no one would sit with me, and everyone thought I was contagious, and just people were horrible; kids, parents, even some teachers. As I grew up I shut down. Some of my own family seemed to treat me differently because all they saw was a sullen girl with "problems" when really the only problem I had was not being able to understand what it was about me that made me so different. I excelled on the Varsity field hockey team at school and none of my team mates ever accepted me. Always the outcast, always alone. To this day I am saddened that I don't have a solid group of friends. I have lived in the same place all my life and I virtually have no one that I can really say is my best friend. I still have hope in people, but it seems people who don't go through this never really understand or know how it makes us feel. The unnoticed death in my case was my innocence and possible future. Every mean word that stings to the core, every time I thought of suicide, every tear that sheds from abuse....each one kills you a little more inside. Who could I have been without all of that? When you are used to essentially being stomped into the ground day after day to the point when your own thoughts turn against you and you stomp thinking you are worth anything.....You are officially broken and dead inside. Today, I have finally found someone who loves me for me and is truly supportive and actually sees me; everything I could accomplish and be. He is bothered a little by the lack of self worth I have and helps me every day try to regain some of myself that I thought was gone forever. I feel blessed, and for the first time in my life, I feel that the hope I have always held so tightly may be realized in my future.

Will be posted soon.

When I was young and all through middle school and my freshman year everything was perfect no problems, straight A student it was amazing. My freshman year was the year I came out to every one about my being lesbian, it's also the year I met my now 1 year and 7 month girlfriend. Through all them things none of that caused me one bullying problem, but then in august of 2012 my sophomore year, I started having seizures 3 to 4 times a week... THE BULLYING BEGAN. People started saying, "oh she's only doing it for attention", "she's faking them", "maybe she'll hit her head one to many times." The school said there was nothing they could do it was verbal abuse, one night I got a text that said " do us all a favor and kill yourself" so I tried committing suicide three times after the third time I finally gave up. Finally school ended and summer break came my way, everything was great, well unfortunately summer ended faster than I could count the days. School started back and it was sophomore year all over again, but worse. I had no friends, I'd eat lunch alone, and this year I got in a physical a fight with one girl, cause I just couldn't take it anymore and sadly the school punished only me not her. Athe bullying did stop though until recently, a younger girl said to my younger sister "tell that fat b*** to stop having seizures every week for attention." And once again the school can't do anything about it. I'm still having what used to be called seizures but what are now called syncope events every week and the bullying isn't helping. Everything used to be so perfect and now everyone is so cruel.

This is something we wrote to the NEWS, Attorney general's office- We will NOT stop till something is done!!

I am writing today to inform you have the physical/emotional abuse that is going on at Westgate Middle School located at 810 West 8th Street, East Liverpool Ohio 43920. With much respect to our School District I am is disgust with the School Board (particularly)the school Principal Mrs. Carole Sutton she is new to this school this year and has had number complaints about bullying NONE of which have been reported. My daughter is 11 years old her Name is Alyse Lovett she is a honor roll student and a very well behaved little girl she is active in cheerleading and our local church she loves her family and pets and have an outpouring number of friends but since this school year has started she has been physically and emotionally abused by two girls that she attends school with. Alyse has had her head smashed against the bus window (which no one saw) supposedly, she has been belittled by the school principal being told that (kids will be kids) the two girls doing the bullying are constantly calling her names that (adult's should never even say)I hate that we had to bring it this far but we have contacted the bus driver who has been amazing at trying to help us, also the Superintendent said he would take care of the issue BUT still nothing has been done, if nothing it's only gotten worse, The school counselor said she has spoken to all involved and that it should be okay now BUT it's only gotten worse, My daughter is now terrified to go to school and speak to ANY ADULT there because she feels as if shes going to get tortured or beat up even more then she has already, Mrs. Sutton has belittled Alyse numerous times and basically has blown this entire situation under the rug. I need some guidance and telling me what else I can do. I have made police reports and even called the kids Parents that are involved but nothing seems to work, I even had Alyse moved to the front of the bus right behind the bus driver and also moved away from these girls in class but they still seem to find her in the hall ways or during lunch. I feel that NO CHILD should ever have to live in fear of going to school and being scared to talk to any adult that is there to help them. My daughter has went to the principal and when she did the principal turned the story around asking Alyse how many beds and bed rooms were in our home and how many people lived with us(not sure what that is supposed to have anything to do with the bullying) I asked Mrs. Sutton about it and she said she was just trying to get to know Alyse I was offended, we live in a very nice home and we have no concerns, other then Mrs. Suttos failure to keep our kids safe that go to her school. Please help me to find a solution, if even a letter of recommendations could be sent to that school, just something for a little relief for my daughter. I am not the only concerned family of issues at that school there is sexual harassment going on with other kids and a another little girl has been taken out of that school and enrolled at a home based school because of being sexually harassed by another student and Mrs. Sutton (the school Principal told the mother she would do what she could well obviously there was nothing that could be done because the other little girl had to be moved out of the school. So sorry it has come to this and Thanks so much for your time.

Hi my name is Olivia and i am a victom of bulling. My best friend and I are really girly and we like to give each other hugs, but i guess that for some people hugs mean your in love. when my friend, Maddie, and I were walking to go sit at are usially table at lunch her crush walked up to us and called us lesbion which is not true. Maddie lagued it of and at first i did to untill this girl,stephanie, came up to me and said that she didnt support my dessicions. I was so cunffused untill i relized what she was talking about, at the time we were friends, so i told her that it was a rumor and that it wasent true. But she didnt belive me after that i started doughting her being friend and all. On thursday in P.E. it happened again and this time with more people, including Maddies crush. After that i relized that it wasent just some stupid rumor going around, but it was what people really thought about me. On frida i went to my theature class with high hopes which I feel only made things worse. My scene grope is a munch of anoying guys and me, I thought untill they called in the other scene grope joined us. one of the boys in there grope asked me why i was crying in the girls locker room, i had know idea how he knew this the only people who saw me were Maddie and my other good friend Jorden. I thought that this boy was going to help me but it turns out that i was wrong insteed as soon as i told him he stareted laughing. I paniced and dintent know what to do so i went into the other part of the classroom iknew that i had my free next so i sat in there wated for everyone to be gone and i broke down in tears. The only reason this boy got away with what he said is because the teacher wasent there.

I don't get bullyed but I see it happen a lot what I would do to help someone I'd help them up when there down and try to be there friend and when the person that bulled them looks at me it might be a dirty look but I don't mind I rather get bulled then to see someone else be treated like there nothing when they realy are a somebody