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

I'm a 28 year old college graduate from Ottawa, CANADA. Still have a few more tests and interviews before I become a police officer. I come from a small town in Northern Ontario. Everybody knows everybody and I absolutely hate that place. I was bullied from grade school up until I left for college. Things were rough for me growing up, I was the chubby girl who stuttered. But even if I was constantly laughed at I knew I wouldn't always be like that. I was in grade 1 when I decided to take speech therapy. Took me 10 years to re-learn how to talk. I also had a dietician help me out with my weight issues. But through all that hard work I also had to deal with constant laughing at, telling me to go kill myself, people stealing my clothes and making me walk in -40 weather with no winter jacket. Everything you could possibily think of, they've done it to me. I have the worst memories of my high school years. I wouldn't go back, NEVER. But one thing I've learn through this is to stand tall and don't ever give up. Things do get better and trust me I wouldn't be able to handle life's challenges if I didn't went through all that crap as a kid. I face my problems head on, I always find a way to fix things. That's what being bullied thought me. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel. To all kids and parents of kids who are correctly being bullied; I will always stand up to bullying and be heard. Much love, Sophie xox

I'm Taryn, and am currently going into Freshman year at Otis High School in Colorado. 

14 years old, and found out just last year that I am panromantic (meaning I'm attracted romantically to pretty much everyone, despite their gender or gender expression) and demisexual. I have to best friends. And I've been being bullied since I was in about fourth-fifth grade- since I was about seven or eight, which is about half my life.

It was never that bad until fifth grade, which is why I say it started there. It got really bad when a new kid came to school. Lets call him...John for privacy sake. Anyway, from the first day he saw me, he just HATED me, and I had absolutely no idea why.

All through fifth grade, every single time he saw me, he'd mutter something like 'disgusting' or 'fat' or 'pig' or 'fucking gross' or something like that under his breath, anytime he knew I would be able to hear him. Then, it would be him not letting me walk anywhere. Soon, it wasn't just him. A couple other boys- specifically his best friend, who'll be named Luke, and a very gullible boy who I'll call Mark. 

Then, in Sixth grade, I had to deal with people coming up behind me and strapping my bra staps agains my back. They started to target my best friends also, who I will call Jane and Mary. Mary was exceptionally good at shrugging it off and not letting it bother her. They stopped being totally jerks to her after a while.

Sixth grade when worse insults arrived. 'Bitch', 'dyke', 'freak', and things i'd really rather not repeat over the internet. 

Jane and I weren't so good at doing what Mary did- Jane got angry and I got sad. I started going to the principal in sixth grade, and I couldn't count the times I cried. More than once I day I would lock myself in a bathroom stall and cry for a moment, wait just long enough for my eyes to stop being red, and then I would leave.

Guess what I got when I would tell the principal, or the teachers?

'Boys will be boys.'

'We'll do what we can.'

'We're going to handle it.'

And guess what happened, every single time?

Absolutely frikkin nothing.

In seventh grade is when it got really bad. I was made fun of for not going out with a boy, even though I was still only 12 or so. People stole my things, like my notebook or things important to me, and I would find them a bit later with pages missing, or the entire thing scribbled over. I found notes in my locker more than once, saying awful things. When I dared to get mad, I'd find pads and tampons in my locker- 'Oh, she must be on her period, thats why she's being such a bitch.'

In seventh grade, every single boy in my grade hated me. But John still hated me the most. He pushed me, tripped me, made fun of me for not being able to keep up in gym, called me fat, ugly, disgusting, gross, hideous, told me I was a bitch every chance he could. And then, the kicker- for whatever reason, he resorted to call me a whore and a slut.

Then, last year, the worst happened.

By this time, I'd been to the principal COUNTLESS times, I'd told teachers what was happening COUNTLESS times, and it still happened, EVERY DAY.

I couldn't go to school without crying now. I couldn't go home without crying, either. I couldn't do shit without wanting to die. 

Now may be a good time to explain that I had always wanted to be an actress, and the skills I had picked up made it INSANELY easy to pretend like nothing was wrong, no matter who asked or how much I wanted to just jump off of a building or something.

 

Okay. Now, in eight grade, I'm not gonna lie, I was probably genuinely depressed. I was good at hiding it, and still had a lot of up days, so that helped a bit. It was 'usual' now for me to be called a bitch, for me to not feel safe in my school, for me to break down crying in the middle of class now. It gets so hard to even take a tiny insult after it's happened for six or seven years. 

'You're so stupid!'

'You're never going anywhere'

'You're so fat, who would like you?'

'Stupid bitch.'

'Get out of my face.'

'No one likes you.'

'I hate you.'

No one likes you. No one likes you. no one likes you, taryn.

Then, someone magically got my phone number- let the death threats role in.

'You're a loser, no one likes you.'

'Why don't you just go drown?'

'Just go die.'

'I'll kill you, no one likes you.'

'Just go fucking die.'

'You disgust me.'

 

I think I cried for almost a day straight. I had to be pulled out of class because I was crying to much, and eventually I had to tell them what had happened. Absolutely jack SHIT happened about that, though- well. I shouldn't say nothing happened. The people who did it got half a day detention and had to clean with the janitors. But guess what happened after that? 

THE EXACT SAME SHIT.

I'm just so glad that no one knew about my sexuality, because I would have never heard the goddamned END of that. No one except me nows about it, anyhow. 

I'm currently dreading going back to school in two weeks. I think school might be the end of me.

I watched a documentary recently on Hitler by Laurence Rees called the 'Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler'. While

bullies don't kill people or put them in concentration camps there are two characteristics of Hitler that they

share. They tend to view people as good/evil creating a synchophant and a demonized group. In Hitler's case,

the synchophant class is the Aryan Germans and the demonized group are the Jews, Communists and Slavs

with emphasis on the Jews.  If you are being bullied you just became part of someone's demonized group

and it doesn't reflect on you in particular.

 

I have encountered bullies among my relatives, at school, work even as property managers of apartment complexes and

members of condo boards.

 

The above video 'The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler' is in 3 parts with the 1st part being the best at exemplifying my point.

I was shunned as a child. It's often confusing to me why some folks bully others. I send love and compassion to those who are bullying and those who have been bullied. Keep love in your heart. 

Hi my name is Dima . I'm 14 years old . i live in kuwait I go to an Arabic school I got depressed at the age of 10 that was before all the bullying came I am now 4 years depressed and been bullied for 2 years and the bullying made my depression way worse I started cutting everyday and I committed suicide 2 times and it never worked out . You know bullying in Arabic schools are way worse than uk schools or American schools . I have 2 scars from knife cuts not from self harm no from bullying and I have many self harm scars . So last year I had enough of all the bullying and for the first time in my life I stood up for myself and that was the best thing I did ever ! It changed my life and now everyone leaves me alone and I finally have friends ! And I just want to say thank you. For the bully project it is sooo nice of you to do this for bullied people ♡

My name is Michael I am 19 years old.Bullying for me started at the age of 10 and mostly in the grades 5th & 6th.I would constantly get teased about my hair being nappy and not having the best clothes.I have been in and out of shelters most of my childhood so I didn't have the resources other kids had.Being teased and beat up constantly at different schools because I was quiet and did and acted differently was very hard to swallow.People would pretend to not like me so the bullies wouldn't beat them up for that reason.During the school years I have been beaten up by groups at a time in small bathrooms for not being associated with a gang.Taunted and called names everyday all day ruined my pride and made me even cry at times to myself.Girls mostly took my side but even then some of them were in on it .In the 6th grade these group of guys would constantly jump me every time we went to the restroom and I let them thinking that they would stop for some reason.One day after school I was walking and left early to avoid these guys and i was tackled to the ground and kicked in the face by several guys at a time and trying to fight back but was very out numbered.After this continued I was constantly fighting and seemed to be the only one who got in trouble or suspended.People would constantly bother me in class because they knew I would re act and get in trouble and I always tried to tell the person in charge but they never believed me.My mom didn't understand until she saw that I wanted to stop going to school.Growing up in shelters,losing my brother,trying to take care of my sisters because my dad left and our home burning to the ground and on top of those things my big brothers / sisters were scattered all over the city living by themselves and my dad was not around.There was a lot on my plate as it was and the constant fear of being bullied made me worse and almost paranoid I couldn't focus in class enough to do work because of thinking of what they were going to do today.I couldn't wash my clothes or even take showers sometimes because bills would get cut off.We needed government assistance and my own family would tease us for that reason.I found myself very depressed and it has been there since.People would fake being my friend daily so I had no one to trust and when I did find some friends we all got bullied well mostly me because they would sell me out every chance they got to keep from getting beat up.Later on I would find myself bullying others because of the pain that I felt and looking back I even cried a few times for that because that made me feel less of a man like the people who did it to me.Years later I can tell my story because I used to be scared too and felt that it would make me look like a punk to everyone around me.Now being grown I am doing things for myself and once I stuck to myself and kept striving with my own independence I was respected by people and even by those who bullied me .Bullying is a disease and It should be unheard of it can go very far even causing people to take their own life like I have witnessed.I sat up so many nights crying because of what people did to me and I had no protection.Was just a little frail kid who loved to draw and make people smile and for some reason people wanted to see me sad and cry.It hurt so bad to accept that along with everything that was going on in my life.I have apologized to God for bullying people because of what  had endured and never made that mistake since.People bullying you can make you have a very bad attitude for life because you never really escape it its here everyday and right in front of you.My message is NEVER BULLY ANYONE AND DON'T ACCEPT IT LIKE MYSELF GO GET HELP BECAUSE NO PERSON SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.I let it take things from me and ut me through depression don't let that happen...I'm here for everyone not just to help myself..Find love and Peace within yourself

Special Thanks to

The bully project

Alex Libby

& Everyone who stands against bullying

and have been through it

Good people period

a d those who took their lives

WE STILL HAVE YOU IN OUR HEARTS 

AND TO THE BULLIES FOR HELPING US 

ALL STAND TOGETHER AND KNOW WHAT YOU DID

WAS WRONG 

   I'm sorry if this ends up long, but sometimes there is a lot to say. Please read to the end. Okay, to begin with, I'm gonna introduce myself. Hi, my name is rebel, loser, freak, weirdo, jerk, nerk, geek, and some other names I'm gonna be polite to not mention, but you can call me Alyssa. I have been defined by these names since I was ten years old. I'm 13 now. Each year I'm gonna some up what went on and share a few stories, but don't leave early because there is a happy ending so far.

6th grade:

  As a fairly "sheltered" child I wasn't ever really exposed to bullying or anything else, now I can write a book. Anyway this was just the beginning. I was always different from the other girls my age. I liked dragons, reading, and was practically allergic to the color pink. There was always my best friend Kelela, but she didn't always understand. I did, however, have one friend. Trinity Rodriguez. (Who later moved to Texas.) She was the only one who knew how it felt to be bullied. I am Christian indefinitely. She had a now quite rare in America religion, she believed in the Greek Gods. I didn't care. She liked dragons, reading, and despised the color pink. (I skipped 3rd grade.) I kept telling her about our savior. This is a story about when I found my spark, by defending her.

   I never stood up for myself or anything for that matter. This is about the day I found my fight, warrior's soul, moxie, spark, or whatever you want to call it. Just know that it was this day that something in me changed from soft to stone. I never liked my 6th grade social studies teacher. She was just plain mean and rude. She was an older lady, but only cared about bullying because she was obligated to do it.

   One day we were to separate in groups according to the answers she asked. The first few meant nothing until she as said, "Okay class, now I want you to separate into groups according to religion. Christians on one side of the class, others to the other side."

I walked to the Christian side and shyly stared at my feet as a group gathered around me. Everyone started to laugh. I looked up to realize that they were laughing at them. Three kids on the other side of the room. The first two were kids I knew. They said that they were atheists. My friend looked up with a red face. "I-I believe in G-Greek Gods." she stuttered. Everyone began to laugh harder. My face got red with anger. I hated these kids who I stood with. I pushed past my awkwardness and step by step made my way to the other side. It became silent. Until they stared shouting with confusion.

   "What?! Alyssa you are Christian!"

   "How could you stand with... THEM!"

 

   "I'll tell you how!" I shouted with anger. "I couldn't bear to stand with you! You call yourself Christians! God doesn't want you to laugh at the different! He wants you to love them and bring them to his side! I stand with Trinity because she is kinder than any and all of you! She is my friend and if any of you decide to pick on her or these two again," I finish with tears in my eyes. " You'll have to go through me."

   "May I go get a drink of water?" I ask my dumbfounded teacher. She nods. I go out to get a drink and the bell rings. I get my drink run to the class room and grab my stuff.

I hear my teacher say, "Well done Alyssa."

   "Huh?"

   "Good job standing up."

   " Thank you."

 

I leave the classroom and a hand grabs my shoulder. I turn around to see Trinity's face. Her eyes are full of tears.

"What's wrong?"

"No one has ever done anything like that for me before."

"Well they should." I turn and hug her.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

 

7th grade:

   This one is really short.

   I became colder, more reserved, a loner, and I got picked on a lot more. I hated humanity along with myself.

8th grade:

My friends left me and I fell into a depression. I had endless sleepless nights of crying. Late into the summer I began therapy and In the last few weeks I went to 2 Christian camps and met the most amazing people and after 6 months of pain I came out of my depression and am now nice and always put my new friends first. I now have soooo many friends. There is always good times. Just stick to it. Walk the road.

   I'm sorry if this ends up long, but sometimes there is a lot to say. Please read to the end. Okay, to begin with, I'm gonna introduce myself. Hi, my name is rebel, loser, freak, weirdo, jerk, nerk, geek, and some other names I'm gonna be polite to not mention, but you can call me Alyssa. I have been defined by these names since I was ten years old. I'm 13 now. Each year I'm gonna some up what went on and share a few stories, but don't leave early because there is a happy ending so far.

6th grade:

  As a fairly "sheltered" child I wasn't ever really exposed to bullying or anything else, now I can write a book. Anyway this was just the beginning. I was always different from the other girls my age. I liked dragons, reading, and was practically allergic to the color pink. There was always my best friend Kelela, but she didn't always understand. I did, however, have one friend. Trinity Rodriguez. (Who later moved to Texas.) She was the only one who knew how it felt to be bullied. I am Christian indefinitely. She had a now quite rare in America religion, she believed in the Greek Gods. I didn't care. She liked dragons, reading, and despised the color pink. (I skipped 3rd grade.) I kept telling her about our savior. This is a story about when I found my spark, by defending her.

   I never stood up for myself or anything for that matter. This is about the day I found my fight, warrior's soul, moxie, spark, or whatever you want to call it. Just know that it was this day that something in me changed from soft to stone. I never liked my 6th grade social studies teacher. She was just plain mean and rude. She was an older lady, but only cared about bullying because she was obligated to do it.

   One day we were to separate in groups according to the answers she asked. The first few meant nothing until she as said, "Okay class, now I want you to separate into groups according to religion. Christians on one side of the class, others to the other side."

I walked to the Christian side and shyly stared at my feet as a group gathered around me. Everyone started to laugh. I looked up to realize that they were laughing at them. Three kids on the other side of the room. The first two were kids I knew. They said that they were atheists. My friend looked up with a red face. "I-I believe in G-Greek Gods." she stuttered. Everyone began to laugh harder. My face got red with anger. I hated these kids who I stood with. I pushed past my awkwardness and step by step made my way to the other side. It became silent. Until they stared shouting with confusion.

   "What?! Alyssa you are Christian!"

   "How could you stand with... THEM!"

 

   "I'll tell you how!" I shouted with anger. "I couldn't bear to stand with you! You call yourself Christians! God doesn't want you to laugh at the different! He wants you to love them and bring them to his side! I stand with Trinity because she is kinder than any and all of you! She is my friend and if any of you decide to pick on her or these two again," I finish with tears in my eyes. " You'll have to go through me."

   "May I go get a drink of water?" I ask my dumbfounded teacher. She nods. I go out to get a drink and the bell rings. I get my drink run to the class room and grab my stuff.

I hear my teacher say, "Well done Alyssa."

   "Huh?"

   "Good job standing up."

   " Thank you."

 

I leave the classroom and a hand grabs my shoulder. I turn around to see Trinity's face. Her eyes are full of tears.

"What's wrong?"

"No one has ever done anything like that for me before."

"Well they should." I turn and hug her.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

 

7th grade:

   This one is really short.

   I became colder, more reserved, a loner, and I got picked on a lot more. I hated humanity along with myself.

8th grade:

My friends left me and I fell into a depression. I had endless sleepless nights of crying. Late into the summer I began therapy and In the last few weeks I went to 2 Christian camps and met the most amazing people and after 6 months of pain I came out of my depression and am now nice and always put my new friends first. I now have soooo many friends. There is always good times. Just stick to it. Walk the road.

At the age of ten I was severely bullied, physically and emotionally. The emotional abuse was the worst, every day I'd go to school and be called a slut, or told to go kill myself. Because of this, I began cutting myself, when the popular people found out one of them approached me and grabbed my arm, pulled my sleeve down and yelled 'Oh my lord, she cuts herself, shes going to hell!'. I ran away from school that day and returned home where I was alone, and I tried killing myself. I was in hospital that night, and none of my so called 'friends' even cared, they never stood up for me, they joined in with everyone else and put me down, they started rumors and they shared my secrets. To get away from this, I changed schools where I found I was getting bullied even more. I gave up after a few months, I thought I was just everyones target, like, it was bound to happen no matter what school I was at. I transferred back to my old school where my peers were kind to me for the first month or two, and then it all started up again. But this time, it was happening online too. Every night, I'd return home to 10 or so messages telling me to kill myself, or slit my wrists, or to be called a slut, a whore, it got really hard and I tried killing myself again. I'm 13 now and I'm at a new school once again, this one, its a bit better, but it could be a lot better, I still get bullied, severely, and my teachers sometimes join in, and I find it hard, really hard, to keep going. But I have to, for my brother, for my niece and nephew, for my family.