Bullying has been with me since i was in elementary school. I was the girl that everyone picked on because of her weight. I was always suspended because i'd react in aggressive ways and it continued into middle school. Sixth grade was probably the worse, every day (and im not stretching the truth) i would run into the bathroom and cry because i was continuously bullied and the school didnt really take any action to put a stop to it. Also in sixth grade i thought about suicide so many times, but never went through with it because of my family. I knew they would be devastated  and i couldnt do that to them, but i did start cutting myself. I transferred school after sixth grade and things did get better. I wasnt being bullied as much then eighth came and is got to almost nothing. Then i got into high school and i havent been bullied since. So yes eventually it does get better, i mean it really does and in the end you come out stronger. It may be a little while but the first step is making it known that you are being bullied and if that doesnt work take it to a higher and talk to someone who is a higher authority and just keep going till you are heard, and if nothing changes just hang on because you are NOT alone you never are.   And it WILL always get better.

I'm Kellie-Leanne, I'm from the UK, and I'm now 16.

I won't write my entire story, as it's far too long, but I'll list some of the things that happened in my life of being bullied. It started when I was 6, nearly 7.

• A girl started to take my best friend from me. She was making stories up that aren't true, and spreading rumors. (This was when I was 6.)
• I used to take my stuffed Lamb to school in my school bag, for comfort - I needed her. People took her from my school bag, and started tugging her around, trying to pull her apart, etc.
• They started to throw her around the classroom, and even when I asked for her back, they pulled her out of my reach, and away from me, and one guy held her by her neck, and pulled on her head really hard.
• I took a coloring book to school one day, a guy who was a year older than me took my coloring book, and flushed it into the male toilets. Yes, I had followed them in there, not caring whether I'd be told off. I just wanted my coloring book.
• My teacher bullied me too.
• I was called names, of all ranges.
• I was given the dead eye, constantly glared at.
• Made fun of.
• Whispered about.
• My year 3-4 teacher bullied me too.
• I developed an eating disorder from constantly being called names within the fat range, and many more.
• I was bullied to a point no one wanted to be my friend.
• I was caught walking home, and bullied by my own NIECE(Who was older than me), and her friend.
• People found out about how I coped with being bullied, which is self-harm, and a guy decided to call me names and tell me to go and slit my wrists.
• I've had threats of bricks being thrown at my head.
• Being ganged up on by a ton of guys

And a whole lot more. It has inspired me to, if I can, create a support group about bullying, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders that can go around schools, and make them fully aware of what happens, what can happen. You're not alone. You're never alone.

Bullying followed me through my entire elementary career. I was the poor girl that wore the same ugly clothes everyday (because my family couldn't afford new ones or the latest trends). I was 'manly' (because I was better then a lot of the boys at sports). I was ugly (because I didn't wear make-up). I was a "bad kid" (because of who my parents were). I was emo (because of how I handled my pain)... and so on. As I got older I realized kids are mean, largely in part to not knowing better.
Once high-school started things got better, for me, anyways. People generally left me alone. I've never been a very popular person, but I had my small group of close friends who are still there for me today. Some of those people who use to bully me are my friends now too. 
Bullying is a terrifying thing. I'm in my 20's now, and I lost a boyfriend who was 27, partly due to the way he was negatively treated by people. We always need to be aware of it, no matter what our age. It's not just kids who bully.
My words of advice: Things will get better, but it's not going to be easy. Life doesn't 'fix' itself, and it doesn't happen over night. It's scary, painful, hopeless, cruel and draining. We need to work at it and learn to use the resources we have available, such as this website. That includes The Bullied, Bullies, Educators, Parents, Peers.. EVERYONE! So reach out. 

I was reminded while watching "Bully" the feeling of hopelessness and fear I had in school. I went through 8 years of ridicule and embarrassment. I was hit, tripped, pushed and laughed at every single day. I went to counsellors, but couldn't make it stop, and I fell through the cracks. I also never got over it. I've never been able to defend myself, so I learned to hide it. It doesn't however end at eighteen, or thirty. The affect it had is eternal. I have no money, no strength  and no future. I live alone with no friends. Hope seems to fade as time goes bye. I'm not suicidal anymore, just waiting for my time here to end. I would love a chance to do something to help give purpose to my life. My world would be a good example of where no one should end up. I wish I had some really profound advice. Being heard is good. I know its long overdue for school systems to change policy, and parents to be held accountable. Thank you for your website. I hope it doesn't end here.

as a kid I was often bullied through my out school years and now!As I see now though I  have come to realize that people that bully others are so unhappy with their lives that by trying to make me miserable they feel superior than me!I know first hand what is like to be bullied both by physical and mental abuse. I am here to advocate those who need people like me to help them get passed the feeling ashamed and not worthy. There is a reason as to why you are here and those who tell you otherwise are just so angry at themselves they don't know what to do or say to make it go away!My mentors through out they years helped me a lot otherwise I wouldn't feel as strong as I am today! two advice I can offer you is never to stay in silence and it is never your fault no matter what they say or do to tell you otherwise!

I'm Vanessa. From Colombia, 20. When I was In My country I was bullied when I was in High school. Now that I look back It dosn't seem to bad because in Colombia Bullying is not as serious as in America but, I think it causes the same effects. Now that it's been a while since the last time I was bullied I want  to make the difference and to let know all the people out there being bullied that tha life has better things for us and only God knows what woulkd be the real compensation, STAND UP... KEEP SMILING !!BECAUSE THINGS GET BETTER.

I used to be bullied in 6th to 7th grade. I was always the fat quiet kid which usually seems to be the best targets for bully's. IT had gotten pretty bad to the point where I wanted to commit suicide, but I didn't I hung in there and hoped and prayed things would get better. Its now 8th grade and I learn that these kids won't stop unless I defend myself, so I did. I didn't start fights but when I would start being picked on I would fight back. I got beat up a number of times but as time passed they did stop. I am now in my second semester of college and have a beautiful girlfriend of now 1 year and 1 month. Thinking back I am happy I never decided to go through with committing suicide. Hang in there and things will get better. I promise. 

I've always been an awkward person. Weird, even. I was targeted for bullying in many places as a kid growing up. A bit of it happened at school, but that was really only just whispers among the popular kids that I was weird, so I could just hate their guts from a distance and they could look at me funny and that was it. No all out assault. Unsettling and frustrating, definitely alienating, but not violent.

I am lucky that way. The only time I really encountered violent bullying was at Camp Ramah, a sleep-away summer camp. Just camp. Just two sessions. Just two three-week slices. No years of torment. I could just walk away. But those six weeks have left a scar on me. It has left me with psychological issues that I am still dealing with to this day.

(Warning, graphic bullying description ahead) Many times, when I have been bullied it has only been by one individual. That's easy enough to deal with because other people will be there to support you. At Camp Ramah, I was bullied by nearly every girl in my age group. They called me lots of things. Lesbian, pervert, loser. They made strong implications that I was 'retar*ed' when I hung out at the special needs cabin as a refuge. They belittled my accomplishments. They harassed me and took pictures of me when it got so bad they made me cry. They threw sand in my face. I LIVED with these people. There was literally no escape. The worst of it, though, was when they intimidated the few friends I did have into ceasing to be friends with me. It really shook my trust in people in a way I never really thought about till just this moment as I'm writing this down.

Telling the counselors had little to no effect. All they did was give everyone a lecture on not bullying. There was NO REPERCUSSIONS FOR ANY OF MY ABUSERS. I don't use that word lightly. If someone is systematically bullying and harassing you, that is a form of abuse and should be treated as such. Never forget that. Harassment and abuse are both crimes, and you have the right to demand protection from that from any authority figures that may offer it. And if they refuse to offer that protection, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND YOURSELF.

I'm 23 now, and I've been able to find lots weird people who like me for my weirdness and I like them for their weirdness. You don't have to wait until you're 23 to find people who get you, though! Find a group online that you share a common interest with and get involved in the community. If you have social anxiety, talking to people online can be a lot easier than talking to them in person.

Finally, I want to say to anyone who's struggling with bullying right now, if you need someone to talk to, feel free to contact me at on facebook. I'm not a trained therapist or anything, but if you need someone to talk to, give me a holler.

When I was a kid I was picked on and harassed by a group a kids and they made my life hell. I was verbally abused sometime physically. I knew I was different and that was OK with me. The more i stood up to them the worse it got. I wasn't athletic, I was quiet, my family did not have a lot of money, I was little. Over time I learned how to shut them out and ignore it. I started to make friends who would help stand up for me and i learned how to stand up for myself. As I got older I got taller and I wasn't the little kid anymore. After I left high school it was my younger sisters' turn. She was picked up by this one boy and I went to the principal about it and nothing was done. I hate to say it but most schools look the other way. They do not want to get involved they would rather just brush it off and that is what made it worse. I am an adult now and it breaks my heart every time I see something on the new about some kid who took their life because of bullying. Shame on you to who does it. We as a community can stop this and it will get better.

My name is David Schwartz. and I'm 26 years old. I'm an upper senior in Queens College, studying for the field of advocacy. I have ADD, Asperger's Syndrome, and a learning disorder. I was laughed at for all of my life, at first for my small height in elementary school. But when I grew into a six foot man, bullies took a different approach, and swindled me of my money, tried to take advantage of my kindness, and I suffered abuse of the worst kind from other kids in High School. It was only near the end of my High School curriculum did it seem to stop, when I became tougher and stronger, not only physically, but as a person. For all of my life, I've been the butt end of a joke of Spaceballs' quote 'may the Schwartz be with you'. People think its funny, when, in reality, it's not even anywhere close to it. I've had bullies put me in Cobra twists, which is a wrestling move used in violent wrestling matches. I've even experienced a time when a psychotic girl assaulted me, which made me afraid of women, when I really shouldn't be. Because of the latter event, I feel when a woman says she loves me, it will only lead me to even more pain. But in reality, I really want to experience the love of someone special. Later in my life, my supposed two best friends from High School betrayed me, leaving me questioning myself if I'm really worthy for having friends at all. I have also never had a girlfriend anywhere in my life, something I've become used to, unfortunately, as I have never experienced a woman's kindness in the form of a loving relationship. Others gloated about my singlehood in my face. And I've had to deal with my Asperger's Syndrome and social awkwardness getting in the way of my pursuit of meeting women of the best kind. All of the women I've met said they were taken, that they weren't looking for a relationship, told me stuff relating to the saying that they wouldn't be caught dead with a fatso like me, and other things relating to my body ratio and weight, my social awkwardness, my ADD, my Asperger's Syndrome, my learning disorder, my crooked teeth (In reality, my teeth grew so strong that the alignment got misformed) My teeth are also stained because of an antibiotic that I required when I received a multiple scars from an accidentally, and bloody, self-inflicted injury, something bullies, and everyone else, pointed out without hesitation, much to my sadness. And everyday, I kept cursing the world, and god, for my misfortunes, in the foulest language ever conceivable. When will this ever stop? Please, I urge that EVERYBODY know about my story.