When I was a kid, bullying was prevalent, but did not have to force it does now during the age of cell phones, the internet and social media.  If you were being bullied, your home was your safe haven, by the time you got back to school things had the opportunity to cool off.  Now, kids are plugged in all the time and can start bullying campaigns through texting, and social media, meaning bullying never stops.

As an adult, working in schools, I have seen how bullying has evolved to the super force it is today.  Now, kids come into school at 8:00am with extreme tension.  When I was a kid, you had all night at home to decompress, now you are bullied on the internet or kids spend all night planning how to bully someone the following day.  I have seen kids set up fake profiles to target lonely students, making them think they have a love interest and then use it to torment them.  There is not peace for these kids, no respite from the constant abuse from their peers, and sometimes their educators.

This is why it takes a village.  Educators can no longer take the position that it is the parents' job to prevent bullying.  There is no "shake hands and make up," the bully needs to be held accountable, as well as their parents.  No more telling a child who is being bullied to just ignore it.  It is not like our day, where you had a better chance of doing that.  Bullying is full time in this day and age, there is no "take the higher road" when you are in the height of adolescence, faced with so many changes already, adding to that abuse from your peers.

Teachers, stand up!  Reward children who stand up for bullying and empower those being bullied by reminding them what makes them great!  And get to the heart of the bullies behavior, because nine times out of ten, it isn't just because they are "bad kids," find where they are hurting and help them heal as well.  Parents, stand up!  Teach your children that even if you aren't a bully, watching someone be bullied without doing something to help is just as bad!  Show them that it is "cool" to be nice!  Kids, help each other.  You don't have to be friends with someone to be kind to them.  Sometimes a smile and a "hey," to someone that you don't normally talk to is enough to make someone who doesn't really fit in, feel better.

My parents taught me that I am special, but that doesn't mean that I am better than anyone else.  I will raise my daughter to stand up to Bullies for herself and those around her!  We are all responsible when it comes to this issue, let's make a change!

I'm actually not one of the ones who is currently bullied. I'm actually not liked by alot of people and you could say I used to be an outsider and tried too hard to be friends with the same girls who would make fun of and talk about me. I was young and what they said got to me. I had extremely low self esteem and did some things I regret because of it. But I never cut, or attempted suicide or anything like that. I'm not judging you if you have because obviously someone wasn't there for you when you needed it. My uncle actually took his own life when I was young. I understand the feeling of wondering who he would be today. that was like my second dad. He was so energetic and always seemed to be fine behind that alcohol driven smile. I just wish someone wasn't scared of hearing "mind your business" from him and just talked to him and let him have someone who would be there when he needed them and was feeling so completely alone and down. This person for me became my brother. I eventually got very close to with my older brother as I got older and realized how important that relationship was to keep. He helped me realize what people say doesn't matter if they're not doing anything to profit You. I you just blow that stuff off which is thankfully easier for me than most others. this helped me grow up and realize what is really important like having true friends, I only have two by tha way, so it doesn't matter how many friends you have, it matters only about their loyalty. When I feel down and out I just pray. Because if you want something done, YOU need to do it... If you can't, there's only ONE person guarenteed to have the right answer so I leave it to him. It might seem like he let you down in your life but think about the many times thou broke his rules and he welcomed you back with open arms. We live In a world going bad but the good is not gone, I promise there is many good souls still out there... 😌

I always wonder if I am normal. So far throughout my teenage years, I think there's something wrong with me because I have a hard time learning, reading and writing. People call me names. I sometimes feel like  I am not a normal person, that I am ugly and no good. Bullying caused me to have depression, low self-esteem, & anger problems. I used to feel, that by hurting myself, I let out all the problems, & stress. People in life are going to hurt you, & bring you down .. nothing will ever change that. They try to tear you apart, but you CANNOT let it get to you. I've been through this. I've self-harmed, & done everything that could possibly hurt me. It lets out stress, & feels like the right thing, but it's so not. Not when you hurt the ones you love.. Then you realize, there are SO many people you  can talk to, that have been through the same thing, that can help you. You may feel like there's no one to help, but you're wrong. There's tons. It took me until now to notice I am normal. Don't ever feel like you don't belong here. You were meant to be here. Because you mean something, to a lot of people. You were meant to live. <3

Most people deal with bullying from their peers at school, but my story is unique in the way that it was from my very own family. We were living with my step-dad's mom, in her 2 bedroom trailer. For whatever reason, her and my mother didn't get along. She did everything she could to get to my mom, but she wasn't budging. Once she realized that, she knew the only way to her was through her kids. So, me being the older, turned in to Leota's biggest target. As I was trying to get healthy, and going to the gym, she would criticize me for having a bowl of sugar free ice cream. She beat my confidence down every way she could possibly think of. 5 years later, and my confidence still controls me, and it all started because she just destroyed me. I also still struggle with forgiving her. But I have come to realize that even then, and especially now, I am a better person than her. What she says doesn't matter, what matters is how much I care about myself. My message to everyone is to stay strong, because I PROMISE, one day, you will be able to get away from it all, and live your very own life, and just be happy with yourself. I promise.

bullying, why does it happen?, why are there so many bullys

When I was in 5th grade. Thats when all hell broke lose on me. I was bullied all the time. Day in, day out. I always protected my friends and stood up for them, but I never stood up for myself. I took the hit from my friends, and saved them. That year I met the love of my life. No we never dated. But I loved her. The first day she came to Guymon schools, she got bullied. I stood up and defended her. Instantly me and her became friends. Instantly. I fell in love with her after a couple of months. In 6th grade, she started getting bullied again. I, again, stood up for her and took the hit and didn't say anything about being bullied. At the end of 6th grade everything took a hard turn and got worse. I started cutting, at least twice a day. In 7th grade, cutting turned into attempted suicide. I tried three times, and failed. Kyla stopped me every time. And I just kept falling deeper, and deeper in love with her. Kyla told me she was leaving Oklahoma and moving to Texas. That night I cried for hours. Then a week later she left. I hugged her and said good bye to her. That night I cried even more. And I started cutting again, and again, and again. I tried to kill myself. I failed. I was called a douche, and ass, a player, and fag and many more. All the time. In 8th grade i finally ended it. All the bullying stopped. I let a girl her is lesbian. Well, I met two girls who are lesbian. These girls didn't know each other. About December of my 8th grade year, I saw them kiss. I was shocked. I went up and asked why they kissed and they said they were dating. I respect that. They're dating. I love these girls to death. And they are bullied everyday because they are gay. But I don't care. They love each other and I think thats all that matters. I've only had one girlfriend. One. And, I'm still looking for one. Still am. I don't need one but, maybe I'm just lonely. I need someone I can talk to everyday. Without question. I want somebody that I can love, that loves me. I'm depressed. Not cutting anymore, but depressed. Moral, Don't stand up for someone and not stand up for yourself. Stand up for yourself, and your friends.

I was bullied for as long as i can remember. I was different that's all. I got bullied really badly in grade 8 and 9 though. This kid decided to make my life a living hell and verbally bully me. Everyday i would get called fat, ugly, retarded, a slut, a whore, and many more awful names (I apologize if any of those words were offensive to you). I started to cut, he found out ad new names came in like emo b**** and suicidal freak, things like that. it wouldn't end. The worst part of it was that the people I thought were my friends saw it and did nothing about it. I was told to get over it. They thought that getting bullied everyday and feeling absolutely worthless about yourself was something you could just get over. They just stood there and watched. One day he told me he wished he had never met and and that I should go die while my "friend" just stood there  and didn't stand up for me. Just before grad he told me that he hated me and he never wanted to see or talk to me again (I hadn't talked to him for a while at this point). In grade 9 he stopped but more people started. i was told to die and the teacher heard and he just told us to back off of each other. Also a bunch of kids in front of me decided on places they were going to ship me off to so they would never have to see me again and i would end up dying in these countries. They all just laughed. I learnt that you have to love yourself because everyone else might hate you for who you are and just because your bullied doesn't mean your friends will stand you for you. The part that hurt the most about getting bullied almost my whole life is the fact that no one ever stood up for me. So love yourself because nobody may not. Stay Strong <3.

a few years ago, when i was a sixth grader, i went to a private school. it was a pretty small school and even so i was an outsider. i was differnt from all the other kids. i never quite new why, i guess its just me. at first i never noticed anything. within a few days i began to notice the whispers and the looks. i was teased and rejected everyday and on the days i wasn't, i seeked for their approval. i felt that i could change and be better and they would like me. i am ashamed of this now. one day while all the kids were playing out in the yard, i was invited to play. excited i agreed and before i knew it i was being tied up in a thick rope around my waste and chest. many kids began running and pulling the rope and i began to spin and run along otherwise i would fall. i was so scared, we were going soo fast. suddenly more and more kids raced out to pull on the rope and in an instant, they all tugged together and i fell on my head. all i remember after that was the sound of their  laughter. for 2 years, 2 long horrible years, i was teased and hurt and no matter how hard i tried, i was not good enough. now i am strong. i will never ,for as long as i live , let ANYONE be bullied in front of me. i will stand up for anyone and everyone because i know what it feels like and i know that its not right. its sick. we are all perfect and beautiful and different in our own way. that is something to celebrate, not destroy, not bash, and not bully.

When I was in the third grade I found the grade fun at the start but that was until one day I went into the breakfast club and these four six graders went over to me and they called me a ginger, a freak and a little weirdo. I was so scared when they were picking on me and it went on for about 3 months and when they bullied me they made the rest of my day miserable although they started the torment on me at the beginning of the day.Because of them I kept on getting in trouble in class like the teacher would ask me to listen in class or she would ask me to do my homework because I didn't listen in class and I didn't do my homework because the bullies always made me miserable and because of that I didn't feel like doing anything at all but be afraid. As time went on it came to the last day of school before the Christmas break and as usual the bullies picked on me but this time things would be different because after the torment I took I told my teacher and she gaved out to them and she made them apologise to me and it felt like a Christmas wish. After that life was much easier , I did well in school and I got lots of friends.Thank you for reading my story.

I have been bullied my whole life. Pretty sad huh? Well it started in fifth grade, you know that's the age when boys and girls no longer have "cooties" and if you don't wear namebrand everything you are forever labeled as a loser. See i came from a household where if your clothes still fit and were in good enough condition you kept them, no use in throwing out perfectly good clothing. I knew from the moment I understood what different was, that would forever be my lifestyle. Now knowing everything that I went through, the drama for 5th grade to even now as a senior in high school, i realize that people have never really been openly exposed to "different". I am a survivor of bullying, but there are others who couldn't take the pressure anymore and those are the people we need to stand up for. RIP Jacob: Jesse: Dani