When i was in fourth grade, I got transferred to a Catholic school, and I didnt fit in. I made up a pity story of being adopted, and when people found out they called me a freak every single day, and the only time i escaped that hell hole was the day i graduated. I wrote a suicide note in the 8th grade and left it in my school gym and i overdosed. When it failed, People referred to me as an emo idiot. The beginning of freshman year, i was unbelievably depressed and I was failing every single class except for art. Art was the only place where i could express myself. i barely passed freshman year. Then the beginning of Sophomore year, was the worst. I was selfharming in my bathroom everyday and it came to a point where i did not want to get up anymore. I came out as Bi-Sexual to my friends and instead of being supportive they told the entire school. People referred to me as a faggot every single day. That was why i couldnt keep a girlfriend for more than a week. She'd feel so pressured that she would not even let me hug her. Then one night in early october i tried hanging myself. My ex friend called an ambulance and i got hospitalized for severe depression and selfharm. There i met so many people who were like me, who got bullied, abused, raped,etc. I became friends with everyone and even though i felt like absolute poop every single day, i knew i was closer to recovery. When i got released I knew it was my responsibility to take action and stand up. I became an honor student again and i began helping people who were depressed on an app called TalkLife , its available on apple and android. I am now a Junior and even though im still struggling, i have reasons to live, and so should everyone else.

My story is typically met by disbelief and skepticism, which does make it hard to share. However, because countless numbers were impacted I share it anyway.

When I was in middle school I had between 60 - 80 bullies, and at one point I stood up to 24, which had me encircled. 

The bullies in my school were united, brought together by the "alpha" bully, and subsequently ranked in a hierarchy. At the bottom were the rank and file, which made up the majority of them. They were the expendable cannon fodder. A step up was the elite, 24 of the cream of the crop.  

The hierarchy was an extremely methodical and efficient instrument because of its ability to terrorize on an industrial scale. It was virtually an enterprise with quotas, a chain of command, and administrative duties carried out by the 24, who partitioned the school into "territories" and issued orders to their subordinates and reported to the alpha.    

And it was the alpha, who alone reported to his superior, a kid named Sean, who was a self-proclaimed visionary. He believed he was a god. And his vision of building a better school had already captivated the entire school and the community, who celebrated him with euphoric cheers and applause. 

"Together," he would often said, "we can build a better school." But it was he that had created the hierarchy. 

At eleven, he successfully ended bullying in an entire school. With a snap of his fingers it stopped. He was hailed a hero... of course, unbeknownst to them, he could always resume it at any time he wished. And like a wheel turning, the more he brought it back the more he was revered; the more others suffered, the more he was elevated.  

He wanted to stand on top of the world and be worshiped. He had initially used the popular clique to begin his rise to prominence, exploiting their desperation to find an answer to bullying, but once he had surpassed them in love and adoration, he destroyed them. They were pawns who had simply outlived their usefulness. 

His vision stirred resistance among hundreds of students, however, who saw right him, but he suppressed any opposition ruthlessly, including his old friend, the leader of the popular clique, who received a visit from the entire hierarchy for six weeks until he succumbed to insomnia and paranoia.     

In the meanwhile, I had managed to turn one of the 24 against him, a certain bully who actually despised taking orders. He soon divided the hierarchy and its loyalties, and all out war abruptly followed, as bully turned on bully.  

But because of my "inexcusable interference," as Sean put it, a close friend of mine was consequently targeted too and sent to the emergency room. There would be no negotiating with his vision.

This incident however sparked a tidal wave of insurrection, and I watched in disbelief as students cornered the rank and file and forced them to swear never to bully again. It was awe-inspiring. And though the elite escaped it was clear there was hope. 

Eventually, the 24 came after me in revenge, but I outwitted them and they turned on one another. And then, all that remained was the alpha, who was subsequently quarantined by the student body and made to watch as the school was rebuilt with smiles and happiness. I think it was torture for him to see so much positivity.

As for Sean, he was confronted by the bully who divided the hierarchy. The fight was brief though, because the teachers arrived just in time to save the miracle worker. 

Ultimately, the school was rebuilt, replacing dark clouds with light. And yet, Sean's vision was given full credit for it despite the fact that it was by student's who had resisted him. Moreover, because his vision was credited, it therefore ignited a movement that grew and expanded, branching out in many directions, and was strengthened significantly by his martyrdom... and yet, this sentiment may be rather unjust, because as it turned out, ironically, the bully who fought him wanted nothing more than to be free.    

For three years, Sean's vision ruled absolute, rallying thousands upon thousands behind it. There was "Build a Better School Day" assemblies and community events, parades, and anything to put him in the spotlight. He waved and smiled for the consumption of his public. "Together," he said excitedly, "We can!"

And despite all he did, his vision still lived and breathed. And when our graduating class stood up and held hands years later, proud of our accomplishment, it was instead marveled as the greatest masterpiece of a true visionary.    

-nyceaglescout

When I was nine I liked this guy Jackson (he was in middle school) and these 5th graders started saying that they would punch my mom and then I said no you won't the next day the shoved me up against a tree and punched me in the nose!

About a year back, I was in a relationship. Things were going okay, but then everything changed. I found out some unsettling news about my girlfriend, and talked to her about it. We tried to move past it, but there was really no ignoring it. She was a cutter, as was I, and we were both going through some rough times. She used her self harm to manipulate me. She would send me pictures of her damaged wrists, telling me it was my fault. Eventually when I had had enough, I decided to end it, in spite of her constant threats of suicide. I couldn't take it anymore. But this was only the beginning. For the next 6 months I was haunted by daily messages from her friends, and even her mother, telling me how awful of a person I was, and how she was the best thing that had ever happened to me. They told me to kill myself, and that the world would be a better place without me. They basically talked down to me until I was nothing. I started to believe them, that I was a nobody, that I was insignificant and useless. I attempted to end my life after those six grueling months, but I failed. That was a big turning point for me, and ever since then I have become a huge advocate against self harm, suicide, and most importantly bullying. No one should have to endure the kind of mental punishment I endured, and no one should feel so hopeless to the point that they want to end their own life. I see the fact that I'm still here as a sign and a calling to stand up and speak out against bullying. Yes, I stand up for the kids who can't. Yes, I firmly believe in love and compassion towards everyone. I don't care whether they are rich, poor, straight, gay, black, or white. Everyone deserves to be loved and cherished. Humans weren't created to endure life alone, and so I make an effort to make friends with the people no one wants to be around, and to help the outcasts and newcomers. I hope my story has encouraged and inspired you to take the same steps as I did. Together, we can change the world. It all starts with a little kindness.

I haven't really bullied too much but i have been picked on a little. In the first month or two of starting high school i had made a few new friends and they are the 'popular' people, i thought i was beginning to get a great social life for my age. For some reason, the boys in my year who got on the same bus as me started to call me names, usually ugly because i had a few zits. I didnt have acne or anything, it was literally about 3 or 4 zits on my face. They even made fun of me when i wasn't at school. They would ask my friends "where's Kirstie? is she at the hospital getting that spot removed cause its getting bigger than her face? Is she getting her face reconstructed?" The first few times they said things to me i wasn't too bothered by it but they just continued for so long and it seemed like it wouldn't end. My friends never really stood up for me, they just kinda let it happen. They didnt encourage them, but they didnt ask them to stop. Then the 'popular' people i was friends with started to hate me because I didnt know that one of them was actually adopted. It was the most ridiculous reason for them to start disliking me but that was why. I also fell out with my only friends over silly things that teenage girls fight over. I then had absolutely no friends and i was so angry and upset about everything. I would usually take it out on my brothers or my parents so i didnt really have a great relationship with anybody for about a year or two. I always talked about dying and suicide to my mom and it scared her, i mean i wasnt seriously contemplating it but it was always in the back of my mind. Thankfully, i found something that made me so happy. A band called Forever The Sickest Kids. Everything about them put a smile on my face, their music, the members personalities, and even seeing them laugh or smile made me smile too. Thanks to them i found out about other bands like them, for instance Our Last Night. These bands have songs about things like bullying and their message is basically saying that youre not alone and "you can make it to the sunrise". Hearing all this made me feel better about absolutely everything. I wanted to have the same attitude towards life as the band members do so i just put a smile on my face all the time, even if i wasnt happy, i would just smile. It changed my mood so much and i began to love my life again. It also helped me get better relationships with my family and i made some friends who truly appreciate me and i love them more than anything. So many people judge others for listening to bands like Our Last Night because they have screaming in their songs, but if people would just give them a chance and actually listen to their message, theyll realize that theyre actually really great, inspirational people. They mean a lot to me and im so thankful for them. If anybody is ever feeling really down, i would strongly recommend listening to a song called Sunrise by Our Last Night. Its absolutely beautiful.

I was an extremely bullied child starting in the 5th grade through the 9th.  I have written a free eBook titled Slimy that shares my experiences but also encourages bullied children, and informs students and parents how to assist their bullied child. The solution is the student body taking a stand against bullying and parents who are aware of their child's social interaction at school.  Here is the link for my book trailer and my website if you would like more information. I am a speaker against the devastation of bullying for our children.

slimyslimick.com

I live in the Philippines. Today, everyone at school watched the film Bully. It was mandatory, every student had to attend the film showing and write a reaction paper about it.

As I was seated in the movie theater, I didn't know how great the impact would be. It broke my heart. I admit, I hang out with rude people. My friends are about twenty times as rude as I. In our high school, our group was, well, feared. Loathed. By both students and teachers. And this makes me feel really bad. It is very unclear to me how I can go on tagging along with my friends when all they do is notice other people and harass them verbally. I guess I don't want to be a loner. If I stop hanging with them, I would go friendless. I have experienced being friendless before and I would never go back to that. So I guess that's a really big factor. And I feel sorry-- for the people they bully, for them even, and mostly, my pathetic self. I am a bystander who is often seen in the bullies' posse. I'm awful. I might just be the most awful person I know.

Fifteen minutes through the film, my friend who was seating beside me already got bored and fell asleep. The people behind me are talking so loud, obviously not paying attention. Countless cellphone screens were illuminated. The wide screen in front of us is the main attraction in that room but somehow, it became the least noticed thing. Of course there were teachers there but I think all they did was talk about latest gossip. They were impossible.

Soon, students were leaving to get drinks outside. And the sad thing was, the teachers let them. They should be watching over us, they should be watching the film. But it seemed to me that they didn't care at all. And this makes me really sad because they missed the film which was a legit eye-opener. And tomorrow, when it is expected to see change, there will be no change. Nothing will change. Because they don't care. I admit I broke into tears while watching the film, but what made it really painful was the fact that it goes on in our school and it will go on tomorrow and the day after that and even five years after that just because we are not taught enough to reassess our lives. Yes, everything starts at one; but lo, how quickly does one give up with all the unapologetic people weighing him down. It's sad.

I have a brother who will enter high school later this year. And I'm going to college which leaves him alone with himself and some friends he knew at grade school. It breaks my heart to know that he is not safe inside that school. He will learn things the hard way, he will be forced to fit in, people will tell him awful things from time to time. I know. I've been there. And these might have made me strong but what if he's fragile? What if he couldn't take it? I cringe at the thought. The fact that teachers are impassive about this thing is so depressing; they think that bullying is touchy or even a non-issue. And it's wrong. So wrong. And I couldn't even do anything about it which makes it more wrong.

Last year, a kid in our school tried to jump from the fourth floor. He's autistic and he doesn't have any friends and worse, his classmates were bullying him as if an autistic kid doesn't have feelings or even a shred of dignity. What they did, they made him go to the faculty room to calm him down. And that was it. They didn't even call his parents. They didn't even reprimand the bullies. They think they've helped because they made him calmer but, no. That was hardly a help. Because the day after that he was bullied again. And now, a year after that, he still gets bullied. I witnessed him a few weeks ago. He was getting hysterical and he was crying and the discipline officer was just nodding and even laughing. God, was she laughing. How could anyone laugh at something like that? She promised this kid that she will talk to his tormentors but she never did. Just because this kid is not normal and she thinks that he doesn't have a mind that feels pain.

Anyway, it is sad how people in my school react to bullying. Including myself, of course. I hate myself for it, to be honest. The students don't care. The teachers are too busy to care. The principal just nods at everything. It's horrible. I wish I knew the solution, but I don't. I am very sorry for this.

Growing up I've always been the odd one out even in my house hold. I was such a bubbly, outgoing, loving, and caring person which I thought would be excepted by people but I was wrong. Going to school with a smile on my face ready to learn and make friends some how made people hate me. I was made fun of every single day for my glasses, my hair, my nose, my clothes, my height, my weight, any and everything they saw as a target they went for it. I would go home crying to my parents not understnding why nobody liked me, questioning my being not realizing they were the ones with the problem not me. At one point it becme physical and I was chocked by a boy in class, that was the worst. People look back and laugh at it but I can't, its something that I will never forget. There's so much more but not worth the time. Everything that happened to me made me stronger and after sharing my story, I am NEVER LOOKING BACK! 

I started to get bullied in the 5th grade because of my weight and braces. I didn't do anything to stop it I held in the pain for 4 years then I broke down in deep depression and I started to cut. they sent me away to get better but when I got back it started all over again but this time I stayed strong and stood up for my self and I started looking for hope.