Hi I'm a 16 years old guy. In the class I study in there is a kid who, last year, used to be one of my best friends. This year he began talking with another kid from the class - and they both became against me and began hating me. If it was just hatered it would be less worse, buy they also bully me. A lot.

I'm a funny kid who always jump and a bit hyperactive. They make jokes of me (call me "bimbo" - because I love taking selfies when I'm bored). If it was once it would be more acceptable - but they nonstop doing it! Just everytime they can they make me depressed.

Every day is a new struggle to get to school and trying to get through all of the shit they're throwing at me. It's really difficult and I wish I could make a change. Sadly, there's no way to change it.

The reason I'm writing here is not because I want people to see my story. For some of you it can help by letting you know that you're not the only one. I hope that everyone that reads it will think about his/her action, trying to figure out if they have hurt anyone. And just go and say sorry.

If those 2 kids would sincerely appologize to me, it would make me much much happier.

  Try to have a topical conversation with her. Like, what's your favorite color, or, how was your day, or, what's your favorite subject in school. You know, stuff like that. But if you can't have conversation with her just sit with her at the table. And let her know the you care as a friend. Because as of what I read, she doesn't have any. Except, you. Trust me, it will make a difference.

  I feel so terrible that she doesn't have a father or any money. It breaks my heart. And I'm sure it breaks your's. Please tell her that a 13 year old boy named Michael feels so bad about her. And he wishes that she will be happy. And I whats to know if there's anything he can do to support.

  I think it is very kind of you, Secret, to be her friend. I'm telling you it means a lot to her! Good job👍👍👍

  Try to have a topical conversation with her. Like, what's your favorite color, or, how was your day, or, what's your favorite subject in school. You know, stuff like that. But if you can't have conversation with her just sit with her at the table. And let her know the you care as a friend. Because as of what I read, she doesn't have any. Except, you. Trust me, it will make a difference.

  I feel so terrible that she doesn't have a father or any money. It breaks my heart. And I'm sure it breaks your's. Please tell her that a 13 year old boy named Michael feels so bad about her. And he wishes that she will be happy. And I whats to know if there's anything he can do to support.

  I think it is very kind of you, Secret, to be her friend. I'm telling it means a lot to her! Good job👍👍👍

Theres this girl at school who believes that she's being bullied. From time to time I've been hearing rumors like, "She has lice." 

I've talked to her before wanting to become friends with her but I dont think she's my type of friend. We still are friends, but not close friends. 

I've learned that she lives with her mom that works at a store and she never knew her dad because he left her. I'm guessing that she doesn't have a lot of money and that's why she wears the same clothes all the time, nothing new. I think that they don't even have enough money to buy hair brushes or cleaning necessities. 

Everyday, I see her sitting in a table all by herself. Nobody knows what she's doing.

Her self-esteem is so low, I think her grades are getting effected. The only thing that gives her confidence is when people comment on her art works.

 I really want to help her. I believe that she's had thoughts of suicide. I don't know what to do! Please give me advice!

 

This story tells the first time I ever got bullied:

Honestly, the third grade was the worst school year I've ever been in. At first, I thought it wouldn't be so bad. My friend was my classmate, Kiara. She was the first and only friend I had in Kindergarten. We didn't really talk during the first and second grade.

The only friend I made during that time was Jana. We weren't classmates in the third grade. I wasn't really good at making new friends either.

All I had to look forward to was Kiara. But what I thought was wrong. 

At first I thought she was just being mean. But then I knew one thing for sure: she's not my friend anymore, she's a bully.

Whenever we did any group work, she'd blame me if anything went wrong.

Once, our class was working on a dance to perform to the whole school. The teacher put Kiara and I has partners. Since the dance envolved sticks, Kiara would always hit my head with it when we rehearsed.

She and another girl ganged up on me and made fun of my shoes. Even though I bought new ones, they still managed to make fun of it. 

Every single time we made eye contact, Kiara rolled her eyes.

When I told the teacher I was being bullied, the teacher did absolutely nothing. The teacher was one of those bystander types.

I never did know why Kiara bullied me. I've been to her house before, she wasn't rich or poor but her family still had some money. She had a lot of friends and was 2nd Honor Roll, the 2nd person who had the highest grade average. (I definitely did not have the highest grade average.) 

If I never did move, she probably would still be bullying me in some form. I still can't shake off the feeling that my first friend turned out to be my first bully. I've begun to choose my friends carefully. I've also begun to read people and see which friendships I should make.

Before I was bullied I had low self-esteem, Kiara made it worst for me. But ever since I moved, I seem like a completely different person. I found out what my hidden talents were and performed them on stage. Ever since I moved, everyone kept on telling me what a beautiful singing voice I had. 

I knew for sure Kiara wasn't jealous of my voice. I just didn't know that I could sing good at that time and never did sing to anyone.

I never did tell anything about Kiara to anyone. I thought people would look at me as "trouble." But now I'm not ashamed of this experience. I am grateful for it. It helped me truly believe in Anti-Bullying. I hope to live to see the day where bullying barely exists. It seems so mythical, but one can only dream.

I was in a bowling league that had an inside clique made up of retired school teachers. Age group: Baby Boomers.

From the beginning this clique gave the cold shoulder to newcomers, including me. Thus, newcomers came and went. I stuck it out because I found some women of good heart within the league.

But the worm eventually turned.

The ring leader of this clique was a loud, boorish, uncouth woman whose class-less behavior turned me off. I avoided her from the start. She turned my stomach.

In the third season of bowling this clique leader, Queen Bee, accused me of stealing money from the bowling kitty. I did not steal the money. In fact on the day that money went missing the ringleader who accused me was not even there. She made this up.

I learned of this slander when she accused me in public, on a later date, at a restaurant, in front of the other members. That shows class.

I was shocked that this took place in public. She wanted to humiliate me.

I took her aside, privately, and confronted her. She began changing the subject. That, my friends, is a Liar’s trick; change the subject like the Magician changes hands to distract you. Don’t fall for this crap. Keep them on subject. “We’re talking about THIS, not THAT.” It’s a way to handle sociopaths.

You can also say, “What’s your POINT?” That is a way to throw it back on them, and disrupt their machinations.

Queen Bee then left town for her vacation home and gave orders …

In her absence her minions began backstabbing me, telling others that I was now stealing from the poker kitty, and manipulating the hands that were dealt so that I would win the poker pots.

One of her minions told me I was no longer welcome at bowling. This minion had pretended to be my friend for three years.

‘Pretend Friend’ was faced with expulsion from the clique for being my friend. But she wants the invitation to the Queen Bee’s second home in Mesquite. She desperately wants social status, albeit social status with creeps.

And not good looking either. Frumpy clothes, bad hair, old ladies who have “let themselves go”. Nobody to take home to Mama. I feel sorry for their husbands, if you get my drift. The only thing going for them is a fat wallet.

Push came to shove.

‘Pretend Friend’ chose the creepy clique (the Hitlerians of the current world). Forget the loyal, heartfelt friendship from me.

She then unfriended me on Facebook.

My first thought: lie with snakes, get bit by snakes. Second thought: what goes around comes around.

So, good riddance.

But I wasn’t going down easy. No tail between these legs.

I took my defense to the court of public opinion via email.

I wrote an open letter to all the members of the bowling league, using the email distribution list, stating my case, omitting names (and name-calling), yet exposing the bullying, the chicanery, the backstabbing, the lack of integrity, and the meanness of this clique. I elegantly asserted my reasons for leaving the league.

Following that I received private emails from league members who said they did not believe the allegations, and thought the whole thing was “horrible”.

Of course it’s horrible. It’s inhumane. It’s everyone’s worst nightmare, no matter what the age.

One supporter told me she had been hearing the slander, did not believe it, but also did NOT defend me during gossip sessions, and apologized.

Following that, five supporters publicly dropped out of the league, using the distribution list to let everyone know they despised the witch hunt, and that they supported me. This effect goes back to aligning with women of good heart.  Chutzpah helps also because what they did took personal courage.

Following that, the ringleader sent out a global email. She foolishly named herself as an accuser - in print - and listed a new round of ‘crimes’, including manipulating the poker money, and for anyone to please call her and she would detail the ‘crimes’, that “have been going on for years.” I suppose she would accuse me of assassinating Dr Martin Luther King if she could. Throw in also Abraham Lincoln. You get the point.

As of this writing the women who supported me have started a new bowling day for us in a different establishment, and I have contacted a Civil Attorney to handle the slander.

That’s my bully story.

Background: I was bullied all of my upbringing years by my Father. To stand up, no matter at what point in life, is necessary for soul recovery and to build self-esteem. Head up, back straight, and “give ‘em hell Harry”.

My name is Nicole Scott. I am 39 years old and a mother of two daughters in Farmingdale NY. Recently our community, our middle school has been on the local news and in the papers regarding bullying. I fear that even with this latest situation the bullying will not end. I fear for my kids and their friends who will have to attend the school in the next couple of years. My hope is that me, with my voice, and the bully project, it will help reach my community and schools and make it a better place for our children. I hope with this project we can help heal the kids who have been bullied and prevent further bullying.

   Hi, my name is Michael. I am 13 years old, and I have also experienced a little of bullying over 6th grade. I am now in 7th grade. In 5th grade it started when my good friend Timmy started to tease my other good friend Brendan, by calling him offensive names like dumbo, idiot, and moron. You know stuff like that. And Brendan never and I mean never stood up for himself. It made me sick just watching that.  I even tried to encourage him to do so, but still continued to be silent. And it stayed like that for the rest of the year. Honestly, I did not stick up for him. I regret it today. If I could go back in time I'd stand by his side and defend him. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! And it's the movie BULLY that gave me this inspiration. But I'll talk about that later.

  Then in 6th it was totally different. Here is when my story begins. First, Brendan started to make fun of me if he thought I said something he thought was stupid, and he started to call me names. Just like Timmy did to him. Then later, Timmy started to do the same thing to me. I think the reason why Brendan started to tease me was because of Peer Pressure. I even stood up for myself a few times, but still they pursued to tease. I felt total be-trail. 

  Now today in 7th grade, things are again, different. All we do is tease each other in fun. It's not even offensive to me anymore.

  Ever since I have seen the movie BULLY I felt an explosion of inspiration go off in my heart to help victims who are bullied! I take the pledge!

 Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH for the inspiration. It means the whole world to me.

  And for the people who wrote they’re sad stories I hope you NEVER get bullied AGAIN and I wish I were there to support you against the bullies.

  And who ever made the BULLY PROJECT, bless you. In my opinion it was the most wonderful idea ever!

 

In the film "The Bully Project" their was a boy named Alex. Alex was from my hometown of Sioux City, Iowa and attended East Middle School, a school across town from mine. Onced they showed the film to us, I was absolutely appalled. I had several mixed emotions going through my head after finishing the film. I at first was sad that kids were so vicious and cold hearted to a boy who was just trying to go to school and fit in. Then I was extremely angry and wanted to beat the living crap out of his bullys (I know violence isn't the answer but sometimes to teach a bully a lesson you need to give them a taste of their own medicine) I was shocked that the administration at East Middle were so ignorant and incompetent to the situation it amazed me how they even got hired in the first place. Bullying is a very significant problem in America but it made me ashamed and embarrassed that it was happening in my hometown. The only offense Alex ever committed was being different and for having his own individuality/uniqueness he was verbally and physically abused by people who looked at him like he was some kind of outcast. I wish I could meet Alex and apologize to him on the behalf of my town and tell him how I wish I had the power to go back in time so I could have protected him, I would have been the bystander who stood up and ended it before it even started. If you guys read this please share this with him, hopefully you stay in touch with the kids you featured in the film. Let him know people are still thinking about him. I believe he moved to Oklahoma shortly before the film was released. In the end we all need to take a stand to erase bullying from our schools, even if it will make the smallest impact it will mean something big to someone. Follow Me on Twitter ->@TheMidwestHero

Hi everyone!

I wanted to say that I am beyond excited that my idea has inspired Post It campaigns on school lockers this past year, has inspired cities to declare ‘Positive Post-It” days, and that federal government offices have incorporated the policy into their workplaces.  I am also encouraged by the recent blitz by an Ottawa high school in January 2015!

https://www.facebook.com/thepositivepostitcampaign

http://www.insideottawavalley.com/news-story/5160040-sticky-notes-encourage-students-at-pdci/

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/10/07/student-responds-to-bullying-with-positive-post-its-school-punishes-her-for-littering

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/webster/2014/01/25/thomas-students-make-a-difference/4855031/

Still, I remain true to the fundamental value of my initial idea - sticking it under the locker door and remaininganonymous.  

Let it be known, I do not condemn the public act of posting inspirational messages.  But, the high school students responding to a locker “Post-It” campaign may simply be doing it to “be like the others” and “fit in”.

I am adamant about the deep impact of “Anonymous Love” on the victim. A neon Post-It in fancy calligraphy on the outside of a high school locker may carry less impact on the victim than an authentically-crafted (and apologetically grammatically-incorrect) message that is inserted discreetly into the locker.   And, the impact may be reciprocal.  Without any expectation of “return”,  this truly “anonymous” demonstration proves you are not seeking reward for your goodwill but rather hoping genuinely to destabilize the insidious development of despair through the planting of a seed of faith and love.

I have hope and faith that you will continue to follow this lead.  Together, we can eliminate the effect of bullying on the victim and eradicate this epidemic in high schools, ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Sincerely,

Daphnee