Bullied?
 

I was bullied...
 

I've been thinking A LOT about the bullying situation.

I've heard the terms... Suicide by Bullying and Bullied to Death.

My heart aches and my head spins....

The fear and helplessness those being bullied must be feeling.

I know what it's like to be bullied...

I was bullied in grade school often being hit, pushed, knocked down in the playground or on my way home from school. I was very athletic and often ridiculed for this and called many names.

In high school about 4 weeks into my Sophomore year (10th grade) I was in Physical Education class. I had tossed a rubber foam softball back to the pitcher.... I turned around after tossing the ball to pick up my sweatshirt... before I could stand up I was HIT in the back of the head on the lower left side. After turning to face my attacker I was hit in the left cheek many times. I did not raise a finger nor my voice to my attacker.

My face and skull were fractured. I was sent home by the nurse... having to walk home...by the time I got home my face was swollen, could not see out of my left eye, was vomiting, dizzy, and balance was subjective.

My attacker went back to class.

I was out of school for a few days... I got back to find out my attacker only received a day out of school.

For the rest of the year and the next two years until graduation, I was harassed and threatened daily by my attacker and her friends. I was pushed into lockers, hit in the head, tripped, hit in the back, and called many names.

I made the bullies mad because I never gave them the reaction they wanted to get...I gave myself permission to not be afraid...to move on...to not let my attacker own any amount of my life. It wasn't easy but it worked.

If you are being bullied... Life does get better... Please hold on. Please talk to someone, anyone, you can even talk with us.

You will be surprised how many people care! WE CARE!!
:hug:
Abbie

If you were bullied or are being bullied... please share your story. We need to let each other know that NO ONE IS ALONE.

Stop Bullying Now!
 

Stop Bullying Now!
http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/

This site has information for what kids can do and what adults can do. Check it out... get involved. Help us STOP BULLYING NOW!!!

Such valuable information Abbie...thank you so much. I'm thinking the numbers should be stickied to the top.

I agree Alffe, and thank you Abbie for this information.
I've made a copy of this into the useful links thread, in SOS stickies.

Here's the link : http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...421#post710421

I was never physically bullied but I was mentally bullied... and that is just as bad, as we know.

I was teased beginning at age 10 when my Mom became divorced from my alcoholic father. She moved us 3 kids to live with her sister's family in a small town were we were teased because we didn't have a dad. I remember being very shameful about would cry in silence. As I grew I realized what a great favour my Mom had given us by leaving an alcoholic.

I was also teased because I was painfully thin. It was non-stop... I was called "Bones". Now I know there are so many worse names to be called... but that dug to the depth of my soul... my mom could hardly afford food and we'd wait every week for our dead-beat Dad to "wire" us $10 per child (today's version of child support would be MUCH higher!!). I'm fat now... so what's the big deal?!! And I wish people would call me bones :o
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I can also remember being a bully and feeling very ashamed about it. My sister, a girlfriend and myself lured a girl to come and play with us. We phoned her to meet us, then hid and laughed from our hiding spot when she came and we weren't there. Debbie was different... she had a high pitched voice and was what we called "sucky-sweet"...
I don't think she saw us ... and I am forever sorry as that was so mean. As an adult I have run into her and I am always nice.
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When my oldest was in Grade 4 I was phoned by a mother to ask if all the mothers could meet with the boys as our sons were bullying her son. I gave it some thought and chose, instead, to talk to my son about ... hoped that the other parents did the same. I felt that in bringing us all together, it woud make things worse for her son. We didn't hear about it again so I am presuming things got better. They eventually moved away.
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When my youngest son was in high school his best friends were twins, born on the same day as Adam. They were tiny boys, and as a result, quite tough and lippy... as they had to be in order to stand up to the big world. Adam told me of a time when the boys were duct taped together... one standing up and the other with his body against his brothers, upside down... to this day I am sick thinking of this humiliation... my son said there was little he could do except tell the bullies to stop. It eventually worked when he ran into the school for an adult.
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Children are so vulnerable... and I pray that every one of them rises above the madness of this world to realize that they are better than any one of those bullies... and yep, Debbie was better than me!

Why did I do it... to belong?!!! Well what an awful thing to belong to....

It Gets Better -- Video
 

It Gets Better (Broadway Sings for The Trevor Project)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeKI8biAglU

Helpful links
 

The Trevor Project
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Stomp Out Bullying
http://www.stompoutbullying.org/

Matthew's Place
http://www.matthewsplace.com/

Pacer Center -- National Center for Bullying Prevention
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/index.asp

The Jason Foundation
http://www.jasonfoundation.com/

Bullying, No Way.. Australia
 

Here is a site from Australia:

Bullying. No Way!
http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au/


Here is a site from the UK:

Anti-Bullying Alliance
http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/

BullyingUK
http://www.bullying.co.uk/

((Abbie)) thank you very much for starting this. Bullying is finally very big in the news and much needed.

I recall that recently Dr. Phil spoke before the big guys in Washington about a bill that possibly may be passed dealing with educating educators. That is much needed.

I recently read a very interesting blog that's done by a father. He spoke of his bullying all the way through school. It became very clear that stopping bullying needs to begin in the home and school. A lot of bully victims keep it to themselves at home and start building a wall around what they are experiencing. And it is SO important for educators to be acutely aware and take action when they see bullying occuring. ... Rather than just say to Billy the bully..."Now stop that, sit down, and be quiet!" I can't imagine that most educators aren't aware of the 'problem' students.

The problem also goes down to the bully and what has influenced them to become such a person.

I'll see if I can find that particular blog to share.

Good job ((Abbie)) and thank you!!! :hug: :grouphug: