I was bullied when I was younger.  I can't remember when it started, but I was in seventh or eighth grade.  I remember being called a geek, nerd, being called gay even though I was none of those things.  I remember being hit on and pushed around.  My ears being flipped by kids fingers.  I also remember hating school and thinking of ending my life many times, but never had the courage to do so, at the time that is what I thought anyway.  I would come home from school crying everyday.  My parents both worked so they never knew what I was going through.  It was not until my Freshman year that the hitting got so bad my parents found out and told Edgewood High School in Trenton, Ohio what was going on.  The school did nothing, but at the time there was no way to deal with bully's no plan of action for it.  I did make a friend named Joe Root though he was a Senior.  I owe him my life as he would take up for me and told other kids he would kick their butts if he ever caught them hitting or cussing at me and after that the bullying stopped that year.  If I knew where Joe Root was today I would thank him personally because he was my hero.  My Soft more year though Joe was gone and the bullying started again, it was at this point I started hanging out with the Hoods as we called them.  They were great friends and always took up for me, plus most bully's were afraid of them anyway they knew better than to bother me.  My Senior year I quit hanging out with the Hoods and people found out it was open season on me they thought.  I remember in class one day I had my head on the desk laying it down, and a kid hit me over the head with my books.  All I remember was feeling anger pure anger, so I got up without thinking and swung at him and punched him in the face.  The teacher told us to stop and the kid hit me in the face and knocked off my glasses.  I laughed I don't know why, but I never cried I just laughed at that kid.  The rest of the year no one picked on me and people wanted my to sign there yearbook and called me the rock.  I won't lie I am 41 years old and still today remember like it was yesterday the bullying I don't make friends, because I don't trust anyone I have a hard time in my own relationship with my Fiancé as she deserves so much better than me I believe.  I still have major self-esteem issues.  I was also raped when I was 16 buy someone I thought was my friend and that has left a scar forever.  I really wanted to die, but now I have a beautiful daughter and a step-son along with the best girlfriend anyone could ask for, so if I was asked if I had to go through all the bullying my rape and being adopted all over again to get to where I am today I would say yes.  My daughter last year was also starting to get bullied at the same school I went to, but I put a stop to that immediately.  I told the school officials if something was not done I would call all of the local TV News and have Edgewood Schools plastered all over them.  The school had a meeting with all the students and told them bullying would not be tolerated in the school and punishment would be severe, my daughter now can go to school without being bullied, if only that kind of compassion by the school was shown to me when I was there I wonder what kind of person I would be today.  If anyone wants to talk to me about there own problems please don't hesitate I would love to try to help in anyway I can.

[email protected]

Eric Sloneker