Dear YOU,
In the sixth grade I joined a homeschool program in the effort to try and stay away from the bullying everyone knew was in our city's schools. I went on an amazing trip to New York City and was happy....until I realized I was alone. All of my friends from elementary school had either forgotten about me or changed. The remaining few that didn't would try to hang out with me but I had become so antisocial. So I joined public school and was happy. Then the seventh grade happened. All of my friends had different lunches or didn't want to be friends with me for some reason. So I started hanging out with my guy friends that had my lunch and rumors started. I was a slut or a lesbian to everyone. No one wanted to talk to me or even be seen with me but everyone wanted to talk about me. I went numb. That year was a blur that I can't see through...I wasted a year of my life. Somehow the bullying stopped though. Eighth grade passed and it was wonderful. I loved every bit of it. Now I am a freshmen and in ASB but the bullying has started again. Just ONE person started it and everyone believed. Once again I was labeled a slut. I'll say it, I'm popular. I have a lot of friends. I'm liked. Yet behind my friendliness and smiles I'm in pain. But I refuse to let this do anything less than push me to my full potential. I will stand up for those that I see are bullied and I will end this. Maybe not now, but I promise you, it will end and I will be a part of the reason it did.
Keep Our Children Safe From Bullies
I decided to join this because of my grandson who lives with me. He has been bullied since he was in first grade. Everyday he would go to school and be bullied by at least 5-8 kids. They would call him fag, cause he wasn't into sports, and they would threaten to beat him up during recess, or after school. Once he went to the wash room and he was attacked from behind, and was choked til he was on the ground. His grades were going down, to the point he had to be held back in third grade. He is 10 years old and now in the 4th grade. He was always getting pushed around. Always being called names. Getting shoved off his bike,where to once he fell on the cement in the school parking lot and broke his nose. I would go to the principle and make complaints, but it didn't really matter, if she was doing something about it, things would at least calmed down I would think. But instead they got worst, where I would call the police department. But the excuses I got from them was there wasn't anything they could do to kids under the age of 12. Well one day when he went out to recess, he was assaulted by 3 boys, doing what they call t-bagging him. When I was called to the school, and then be told this happening while a couple of teachers were on the playground, who were suppose to be supervising, I was to my limit on this whole bullying thing. I at that point told my grandson to go to his classroom and empty out his desk, cause he wasn't going back there. I requested that they help me transfer him to a school of my choice, immediately. The boys were suspended for 3 days. Big deal. If they are old enough to do such horrible things, then they are old enough to be punished by the law. They should of been expelled from school.
We need to get more punishment for this behavior. Under 12 or not.
Breaking the Bully syndrome Within.
I am all that I am. I am Joyce Gant, from TX. Allowed myself to be bullied all my life 54 yrs. On Sunday,3-3-13, I saw Anderson Cooper 360, Lee Hirsch & Alex as well as Anderson have assisted me in watching this to step out of that old shell of feeling it was hopeless. Born with a nerve & body disability that made me fall & kids & others not taking it serious. not being loved & cuddled as a baby, was difficult & learning to take extreme care not to die due to medical procedures & E.R. errors as well as Primary Dr. neglect, almost dying several times. not caring as well as own brother, being a bully to me as long as alive. Breaking free allowing I am good enough I am blessed & I am a child of God that deserves love & to feel worthy which I am in the process phases of allowing all these gentle divine miracles to be into my heart & keep praying that the rest of the world can awaken to the tragic things that can occur due to feeling so alone. May blessings & love be to all & all be open to shift & not allow be bullied & all bullies be healed from what has made them to be a bully as well. God bless us all. Joyce Gant
Orphan
I was a child who lost both of her parents to cancer. My old school supported my family and understood what my brothers and I were going through. Both of my brothers were in their early twenties; a huge age gap between me and them. In the third grade, we moved into a three-bedroom house since my older brother got married. They became my guardians. I started a new school and tried to fit in. Close to the end of the school year, a boy started teasing me about not having parents. They began to call "orphan". HA HA Orphan who no one to love you! My sister in law was angry and set up an appointment with administration and the guidance counselor. During the meeting the guidance counselor said "Well sweetie you are a orphan...an orphan means the lack of parents or family" The room got real quiet. My sister turned to the counselor in a real calm manner asked her to explain. The counselor said she was divorced so she was a divorcee but she doesn't cry about it. My sister withdrew me from that school so fast the administration was worried that she would take it to the region.
I went to a new private school that just opened. Everyone was new and no one knew my past. My sister said you don't have to tell anyone about my parents if I didn't want to. My brother and sister became mom and dad. I'm 18 and have a 6 year old niece. She says I'm her sister..her estey. The students that made fun of me apologized and cried because they knew they hurt me.
I am a stronger person but it took time to get over what the counselor said to me. An adult who is there to guide me and help me betrayed me and broke some of my trust.
JUST AN IDEA (DID NOT KNOW WERE TO POST)
I'm not here to express any experiances but to maybe help with an idea...Children much as all of us have personal rights as citizens. Just as on the job place it is a violation to exploit sexual harrassment why not allow children the right to confront there bully(s) in court? Why can't we implement a similar model used in businesses and university's across the country. Mandate training students and teachers as well as adminstrators. Make the teachers and administrators responsible and accountable by mandated reporting and follow whereby they will be held personally liable for not following up. Appoint advocates at each school who can support and guide students and create a condifential bully hotline. This film just broke my heart on all levels.
We are all responsible for this ugliness