Hey Lee, Thank you so very much for sharing your story. It’s tremendously powerful to know that through some of your more difficult moments, you’ve seen that there is a light, that life when we seize the opportunities and learn to grow from our experiences, good or bad, we enrich our lives. Thanks again for sharing with us.

Best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Skylar, Thanks so much for opening up to us and sharing your story with us. It sounds like though you have been through some incredibly difficult moments, you have been able to rise above them and really seize your life and take control of it, not letting it be dictated by the childish acts of others. One of the most important parts of your story is when you speak about opening up to your teachers. It’s incredibly difficult to accept that you may need to let some of this emotion out, because when we’re young we think we are made of steel, but in fact, we’re still just learning how to be who we want to be. I think if you were able to tell your story to other kids it could have a tremendous impact. Do you think you might be able to look through some of the other stories kids your age have posted and share your support?

All my best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Rosalie, Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. Though it takes a tremendous amount of courage, it certainly seems like you have some gained some closure as you have grown older and really used your experiences with bullying as a positive force in your life, which is so wonderful to read. Have you thought about sharing your story with others who have also shared their story? I think you could have a tremendous impact on some of the kids and teens who are posting here. Give it some thought and keep with that amazing outlook on life, it’s really encouraging!

All my best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Tammy, I cannot tell you enough how thankful I am to have just read your post. It is the honest, to the point, realistic, but also nurturing parenting that is so important when dealing with these issues, and you nailed it perfectly. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your words of support. I would be curious if you would be willing to help us provide support to others who share their stories on our site? What you said moved me very much and I think we would benefit tremendously from your help. Please e-mail me at [email protected] to discuss further.

All my best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Ashley, First of all, thank you so much for being so incredibly brave and sharing your story. One thing that is so important right now, is that you go an speak to an adult about what is going on in your life. Someone you can trust, who you know will listen to you, a teacher, parent, mother of a friend. Take a look through the other stories on our page, there are so many people here who can help you, demonstrate that no person controls your life more than you, and that you can rise above the stupidity and ignorance exerted by a couple boys who clearly do not know right from wrong. This life throws lessons at us, some harder than others, but the most beautiful thing about it is how we can grow from those moments, good and bad. Please do look through the other stories on our page and reach out to those who you feel you can connect with, it goes an incredibly long way!

Stay strong my dear!

All my best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Hey Karen, Some great points thanks for sharing your story!

Best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Daniel, Part of our campaign is to bring awareness to adult on adult bullying but also adult on child bullying. Bullying is not something that end’s at childhood and we recognize that, but if we can teach our young people to be empathetic, respectful, and caring for one another’s well being, the likelihood of it carrying on into adulthood is reduced.

Help us spread the good word, check out our tools and resources (http://www.thebullyproject.com/tools_and_resources) and think about hosting a screening of BULLY in your community (www.thebullyproject.com/calendar)!

Ryan
The BULLY Project Team

Elizabeth, We’re so happy to hear things have gotten better. Sometimes we forget or don’t know better than as we grow older, our environments change and with them, so can we begin to change our own lives for the better. Stay well!

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Chelsea, Your words can not be truer and their importance for ANYONE who gets bullied will always remain relevant. One thing we have to teach our children is that these years are not the end all be all and that in fact we are the curators of our own futures!

Keep spreading this wonderful message. As someone who endured bullying, your legitimacy in this fight is second to none!! If you’re looking to help us spread the movement, email us at [email protected] for more info on volunteering!!

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Jen, First of all, thank you so much for sharing your story. Your daughters experience with bullying is what we are working so hard each and every day to prevent. from what it sounds like, the school doesn’t seem to think they’re accountable, which you as a parent can help change. Have you brought your daughter’s case before the school board? Make sure you are documenting every incident as it happens. You can do this by filing reports with the school, or you can go one step further and file a report with the department of health and human services office of civil rights (linked here: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/complaints/index.html). The more evidence you have that there is abuse and harassment, the more likely a school is to take action, in most cases because they don’t want to be held responsible for neglect.

Also, make sure to look through our toolkit for parents, it has some incredible resources that can help you and your daughter make your voices heard and change the climate she has to endure daily. Here is the link: http://www.thebullyproject.com/tools_parents

Jen, please stay strong, if you need any further help, do not hesitate to email us at [email protected].

All my best,

Ryan
The BULLY Project Team

Jesse, Your story is incredibly powerful, moving, heartful, and insightful. Thanks so much for taking a moment to share it with us. What is the most powerful part of your story is how you’ve grown from your own experiences, that through the harassment and abuse, you clearly have found your voice, and it reflects so much of what we work everyday to do in communities across the country.

Would you have any interest in volunteering for us? If so, send us an email at [email protected], we’d love to speak to you more about coming on board!

Keep fighting the good fight,

Ryan
The Bully Project

Kaleigh, Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. Part of the healing process is discussing it with people, and sometimes posts like this help you move forward. What many kids don’t realize is that high school is not permanent, you move beyond it, and that at that point in our lives, we are still at the beginning stages of our development as adults. It’s great to hear that things are getting better and even more important that you now know how important it is to talk to an adult about what you’re experiencing, because like you said, you are not alone! Keep fighting the good fight.

Ryan
The Bully Project

Lexi, Good for you for standing up to these boys who clearly have not been adequately taught the difference between right and wrong! The world needs more upstanders like you! Our entire team is so proud to hear you stood up for what is right! Did the principle take any action?

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Brookelyn,

First of all, thanks so much for taking the time to share your story. It takes a lot of courage to do so! My sister had similar experiences with groups of girls growing up, but the way she fought them off is by disregarding their comments and sticking with her friends as much as she could! It seems like you are doing much better and are turning the negatives you experienced with bullying and turned them into positives!

If you ever need advice on how to deal with bullying, check out our page for students, http://www.thebullyproject.com/tools_students, where we’ve got some great resources that can help you answer questions you may have! Keep fighting the good fight dear, you’re doing so well!

Best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Natalea, When I was 15, I was cut from my high school lacrosse team. I heard through the halls and the school that it was because I was too fat or not fast enough, among other things. It was hard to take in. I felt I had worked so hard to be apart of something I wanted so bad, but had it all taken from me with a few short words.

What I decided to do was to prove everyone wrong, to not give into the rumors and the bad mouthing I knew was going on, but to use that rejection as inspiration to grow stronger, physically and mentally. So I spent the next year doing just that, and when I heard or thought I heard people talking badly about me, I didn’t pay attention to it because at the end of the day, it’s all nonsense, hearsay, stuff that even months from then, and definitely now, doesn’t even matter.

I ended up making the varsity lacrosse team the next year, and proved everyone wrong. As I look back on that experience, a lot of it had to do with the fact that I did not accept my situation as permanent, and I recognized that as I grew older and matured, my life and the things that made me happy were not dictated by others, but were already within me.

I hope that you know that though life can be difficult and seemingly at times not worth the trouble, it has a beautiful way of teaching you incredibly important lessons, some harder than others, but still very important nonetheless. Though it may be hard, trusting people and letting people into your life is so important to healthy living. I do not know what your personal circumstances are with your friends, but I did the same sort of thing when some friends did things I did not like, and I regret writing them off now, for my life might have been a little better had I not chosen to do so.

Thank you so much for sharing your story, it takes a lot of courage. We’re always just a few types of the keypad away!

All my best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Adam,

Thanks so much for sharing your story and letting this community know that it does get better and that they are not alone! ! So wonderful to see that through pain, as difficult as it can be, you have found strength! I can’t tell you how important just being reminded of that simple notion is. Keep spreading the love and the good word!

All my best,

Ryan
The Bully Project Team

Jessica, As social media manager for The Bully Project, I read stories each and everyday about the experiences people of every different creed and color have had with bullying. The way you described your story, and opened up about your own personal struggles might be one of the most vivid I have ever read, particularly the part with your father. It was extremely hard to fight back the tears when reading this and I just want to thank you on behalf of myself, and the entire bully project team for having the courage to share your story with us. I cannot tell you how happy it is to know that you have decided to become a teacher and use your own experiences to enrich the lives of our young people, we need more people like you educating our youth. The politics of professional life sometimes are just as hard as those we experience back when we are students, but just like you experienced, everything changes when you have people in your own life that support you, whether they be kids or adults.

We’re so happy to hear you’ve become an ambassador of our work. We would love to know if you and your students might be willing to volunteer for us, as your voice for this issue is so passionate, but clear. If you are, please send me an e—mail at [email protected].

Again thank you so much for sharing this story, heart wrenching, beautiful, powerful.

All my best,

Ryan
The Bully Project