I've been bullied my whole life since primary school, because I'm different because I'm a nobody to anyone, I moved countries to get away from it all, I turned to self harming my self smoking and drugs and even got to the point where I tried to take my life a few times to say the least. Bullying needs to stop it ruins so many lives, it's time to stop and not just accept it as part of our lives, I started to believe I deserved it and I suffered not the bullies, i almost gave up my life now it's time for me to stand up for those that were and are in the same or similar boat.....

Middle School Bus:

Between 7 and 8th grade I was actually bullied by kids younger than me on my bus. It was only after school and they'd always throw paper balls at the back of my head and made me cry. At one point, I decided enough was enough and I walked home from school, which was at least 2 miles. But I live in Phoenix and it's really hot and I couldn't do that everyday. So the next day I was back on the bus, be tortured by younger kids. Now I'm short-tempered so when I finally had enough, I got up out of my seat and yelled at them. After that, my mom picked me up everyday after school.

High School Drama:

Between 10th and 11th grade, I had some issues. This story isn't about bullying but friendship. My first best friend from 6th went behind my back. We were both on the same level of choir, which was 3-4, and we had both auditioned for the next level, 5-6. I had made it and she didn't. She had gotten all upset and when she got home she complain how I had gotten into the next level of choir and she didn't. Her dad had sent an email to our teacher, say all that and including my name. As soon as I heard about that, I stop talking to her right away. We weren't friends anymore and it was awkward for me to still sit with her and her friends at lunch, so I started sitting by myself. I had stopped eating my lunch by then because of how depressed I had became because I had no friends. Our Assistant Principal had been walking by and noticed that I was down and asked me what was wrong and I just shook my head and started crying so she took my to the counseling office and had me talk to my counselor, who had actually found a group of friends from me to hang out with at lunch. The following year my ex-best friend had actually made it to 5-6, the next semester I dropped out of choir because I found it too difficult and boring.

My name is Joslin and I'm 19 years old. Today I have 1 year without self harming and I thought it only fit to share some love and hope for everyone out there struggling with bullying. The first time I was bullied to my breaking point was December 27th, 2010. I was on my face book and this girl who was a very close friend started saying terrible things to me accusing me of something I didn't do. That night I took 2 weeks worth of meds and waited to die. My dad came down to say goodnight to me and noticed something was wrong. I spent 5 days in ICU. Everyday my nurse said I was a miracle. This was the worst of countless times before and after that event that led me to where I am today. I honestly didn't think it would ever get better. I wanted to die and I was so angry to be alive. I wanted to share with everyone that life no matter how dark it seems is worth your while. All the crap you get now will make you such a strong human being. I've dealt with so much pain in my life from murders, to bullies, to domestic violence, etc. and today I can say I'm a survivor. I know what you all are going through. I've felt the same pain. No matter how different the situation the pain is the same. It's a loneliness like never before. Please remember you are worth it. You are an incredible human being no matter what you or anyone else thinks because there are people out there that are good that are worth living for. It may take time to find them, but they're there. NEVER EVER GIVE UP HOPE... "When you feel like giving up remember why you held on so long in the first place"

I was in math class and we were doing a game in teams of three and four. I was never good at math so when I got a question wrong when the teacher called my number I would jump and hesitate to write an answer down. So when it was in the game (we were last place) and I got it wrong a girl in my group said" Girl u is so stupid and a ugly chinese" she went on but because of the shock at the first words my mind couldn't get the rest. My eyes started to fill with tears, but I tried to hold them back so she couldn't see how serious she hurt me. She insulted my heritage and myself. Even though the teacher snapped at her it wasn't enough. I knew she would hate me more than she ever did before. It was hate at first sight.

I was made fun of for many things in elementary and middle school.  Most of all laughed at because I would always give wrong answers to questions because I had a different understanding than everyone else.  This made me stop raising my hand and I didn't want to be seen or chosen by teachers to answer anymore questions.  Teachers need to put their foot down about laughing at people and pay attention to the students who do not "get it" as easily.  All of this made me feel like nothing and that I would always amount to nothing.  I got married and had 2 boys and have never been fulfilled as my husband mostly treated me like nothing as well.  Bullying sticks with you all of your life and affects everything that you do.  You think that you're never good enough no matter what you do.  You choose all the wrong people in your life, ones that keep you down.  Adults need to put a stop to bullying when it is happening!  I have just recently gained the confidence to move forward and make something of myself because I know I can and I AM somebody.  For those of you who are bullied, always remember they are wrong about you.  Bullies have their own issues.  They are self-centered and unfeeling and that is no way to be.  Just tell these people their behavior is unacceptable to you.  Once I told my husband that, things became much easier.  

My name is Megan, and I'm 13. I am not bullied a lot anymore in school, because Ive made friends. That are keepers. My biggest bully is probably myself. Being called worthless and such, has really gotten to me. I started cutting 3 years ago, and have tried to commit suicide one time. I used to get punched in the stomach when I would "do something wrong" and people used to pull my chair out from behind me when I was going to sit down and I would fall on the floor. Being called mean names. People avoiding me. This world is cruel, and I honestly don't think schools do anything about it. Not mine anyways. They do something, but it is never enough to stop it. Being a cutter, and a suicidal 13 year old is hard. Because I am such an outcast from everybody else. it sucks. It really does. But I have a tremendous amount of faith in people that are having a hard time. I believe you can get through it with the help of others, and I would always be here to talk. I love all of you.

Hello, my name is Robbie. I'm in my late thirties now, but I was picked on by insecure people trying to make themselves feel better when I was in middle and high school. I never quite fit in and was never in the cool crowd. I wanted to fit in and sought those that had the same quirkiness as me. My attitude was if u don't like me that's your problem not mine. Bully's have a void they are trying to fill by being mean, and in reality that void could be filled by reaching out and being kind to those who may be a little different than the "norm". As I got older I fit in more easily and went out of my way to support and encourage those people who felt out of place. If you people that bully others really want fulfillment, reach out and embrace those people. You will find out they are not so different than you, and will become a good friend to you.

Hello my name is Frank, I live in Great Falls MT and am a parent of a bullied child. I was also bullied as a child. I have tried to work with my local school district but get the same old BS run around and psudo efforts. I am sick of this. I have put together a group on FB for our local parents who wish to join this fight and I am trying to get as much attention as possible to it, but alas although motivated I have no direction other than my target. Any advice or assistance would be great, I am an entertainer and a bit of a Ruffian in some peoples eye's so I have some dis advantages out the gate but I love my son and my heart breaks for these other kids too. It must!! be changed and I can't sit back and just be upset anymore. I just need some direction as I said. I am going to scrape up some cash to get the educators kit as our school system obviously will not so that I!! can get the word out and so on. I am a poor man but a determined one. Namaste.

I'm not quite sure how to start this, but here it goes: My name is Ariel. And I'm bullied. I was born with osteochondroma. It's a bone disease, so my bones develop just a little weirder than most people's. Just at the joint areas so my bones are kind of popping out. Kids just love to use that for their jokes. But this is the real world we're talking about. People now a days are cruel. And its expected, or that's what all the adult figures who have the power to stop it at my school say. High school.

It all started in the 3rd grade. My trust issues that is. I had a teacher who wasn't so comfortable with the fact that I'm a mixed race. I had just transferred to a new school from one I really loved. And I didn't want to talk to or touch anyone. And I didn't. I didn't have one friend until the middle of fourth grade. But one day my 3rd grade teacher told me that she was calling my mom to speak with her. I didn't think I was in any sort of trouble because I had barely spoken 20 words. She was unable to reach my mom but got a hold of my sister who is 16 years older than me. She was in her twenties around this time. So, my sister gets there and my teacher tells her that I'm acting like an animal. Attacking students, ripping up papers, out of control. And its then that I realize that she's lying. And I confront her about it right there. I ask her why she's lying. And she just ignores me. My sister, of course, believes her over some 7 year old. And she punished me. 

In 5th grade I had a teacher who made it very clear that he didn't like black people. (I was the only kid at the school who was part black) He did everything he could to try and hold me back, stop me, make me cry. Thankfully we had an aid who graded everything. I passed.

Then in the 7th grade, my classmates started bullying me. They drew horrible pictures of me and put them everywhere, stapling them on the walls of the classroom, filling them in my desk, covering the whiteboard in drawings and mean words. The teacher did nothing. She was always shopping online on her laptop so she never payed attention. One day, it got to be too much. A boy spat on me. I went into the restroom and called my mom on my emergency cellphone. We talked to the principle but all he did was tell the boy not to do it again.

8th grade was somewhat enjoyable. People still made fun of me but I ignored it. That was the year I graduated middle school. On the last day, I went and I told my 3rd and 5th grade teachers (My 5th grade teacher went on to get fired and get his teaching degree removed when he had intercourse with a minor)that I still remembered everything that happened and that I was telling the principle about it. That scared them.

Freshman year was pretty bad. I had friends, but they weren't always my friends. Only when they needed someone to hangout with at lunch or vent to when they got into an argument with someone else. I didn't mind. But the popular people at my school seemed to notice. And they were really mean. That was the year that I began to get physically bullied. Slapped, punched, pushed. One girl was really bad. She'd hit me with her backpack which was huge and packed. She was like an ape, her upper body was the strongest. But I have three brothers so I rough house a lot. One day, she hit me and I cracked. I pushed her to the ground. Turns out I was a lot stronger than her. I told her to leave me alone. She did, somewhat.

Sophomore year was horrible. I was a walking target to a lot of people. They said so many hurtful things. It got so bad that whenever my mom dropped me off at school, I'd wait for her to turn the corner to drive to her job which is in another town and once I'd see her truck drive away I'd take the hour walk home. I missed over 72 days of school. And eventually, I attempted suicide on school grounds. But then I remembered The Bully Project just before I was about to cut my wrists in the girls bathroom. I had taken a few pills before my attempt so I stumbled to the safety officers office. It was then that they realized just how bad it had gotten, and they tried to stop it. 

Nothing worked, people still hit me, pushed me, ruined me emotionally. But by the end of Sophomore year, I made it clear that I wasn't going to give in. Take my life just so they could find someone else to pick on. So my Junior year, I decided to take home hospital. Basically, schooling from home. Now, in my free time, I'm trying to get awareness here going. I'm not completely strong, but if more people banded together with me, we could be the strength that some of these kids here need. I know I'm not the only one going through problems here. 

I'm 15. I'm Lost but at the same time I'm found because I know what I want to do about the bullying here. I'm going to make a difference. Here in the Central Valley of California.