Real Teens Speak Out

You are their crutch

I was reading all your stories and my heart broke each time. Why? Because all of you who are posting here don’t realize one thing: how beautiful and great you are. You are not the problem. The bullies pick on you because THEY have a problem. You are their crutch. You get them through their day. Without you, they’d be dragging along the floor with their low self esteem. As you go through this, remember that it really is temporary. You will get past this and grow to be the beautiful adult you are meant to be. DO NOT take their comments personally. Remember that they will say anything to make themselves feel better. Promise to do something good for yourself each day. Even if it’s something small to make yourself smile. Create your own positives.

My Long Journey With Bullying In An Odyssey Article

I struggled with bullying for a long time. It was off and on. It started in fifth grade and continues today. I am now in college and still dealing with it has not become any easier. I wrote a little bit about it in my Odyssey article. Check it out, and share it if you can!! https://www.theodysseyonline.com/bullying-stole-simple-joys-life

“Just because we like it”

It all started when these three idiots though it was funny to make fun of me for being still a pretty shy person, listening to rock or metal music and for not being good at sports (I was just never keen into sports, I was the computer-type person from a young age). The bullying started off with them calling me names like the “weirdo”, the “strange guy”, the “evil-soul” (yeah since wearing Metallica and Slipknot t-shirts automatically turns you into a bad person who thinks only about death…seriously this is ridiculous). At first I din’t pay much attention to them, with a view that they would hopefully get bored and stop it. The good thing is that I made some new friends and we would hang out together. And this was probably the only good thing about that year. They didn’t stop though. It turns out that ignoring them made them even more aggressive for some reason. They would randomly zoom out of nowhere and telling me “come on skinny freak, fight me!” while I usually avoided fights, since I’m never the “fight and get into trouble” person. So I always said things like “got no time for you man” or “sorry I have something important to do, leave me alone”. One day in particular I would go for my usual evening walk. It was Friday and I went out with my hoodie and with my headphones listening to music. And then while on my way home, these guys popped up. Apparently they were going somewhere but something tells me they were just waiting for me there. They block my way.  I understood that all they wanted was to beat me so I started running. They followed me until my home. I thought getting inside and locking the door would be a good idea. My parents were not home that moment. They would stand outside and yell insults. About me, my family and everything they could think off. I started feeling so bad about myself but at the same time enraged. “Why? They don’t even know me for more than 2 months, what’s the matter with these people” I kept asking myself. The whole thing hit the roof when one of them took out a BB airsoft gun and started firing at my window. I went out and yelled. “One more shot and I’m calling the cops!”. They ignored so that’s what I did. In less than 5 minutes sirens could be heard. Of course they run away. The next day at school all the things were strangely peaceful. They would even greet me when they first saw me. Something wasn’t right. Something just didn’t fit to the whole situation. And I found it out when the lesson was over. I was going to my motorbike. I got on but it wouldn’t start. No matter who much I pressed the “IGNITION” button the engine seemed pretty much dead. They were standing there looking at me laughing. I knew they had done something to my motorbike. That moment one of them yelled “Hey! You’re looking for this?” and he was holding the spark plug of the engine on his hand (for those who don’t know without a spark plug an engine simply wont work). I was full of both sorrow and rage at the same time. I went there and told him “Why are you doing this to me?” he laughed, punched me in the face, then the others followed by kicking me while I was lying down. “Just because we like it. We don’t really like people and weirdos like you. OK? A weirdo, a creep, a no-lifer. No one really likes you. Oh and by the way it’s fun to see a weirdo bleeding” and they threw the spark plug down. People from different classroom were there just staring at the whole incident. I felt the biggest shame of my life. Some of them were laughing. My friends run off to me telling me if I was OK. The next day I talked to the headmaster about these kids. He expelled them, called their parents and started interrogating them and questioning their actions. Of course they just stood there looking like idiots, since they had absolute no reason for doing such things to me. The headmasters decided they should be expelled from school for once and for all. The rest of time in this high school were fine. I made new friends had fun and many more good memories. But the most important of all I learned the meaning of friendship, of self-esteem and the most of all. To NEVER EVER feel bad about myself. Surely no one is awesome-looking. Surely no one is listening to the same music. Yes, no one is dressing up the same. If it was all the same for everyone the world would be a monotonous place with no interest at all. Everyone is beautiful. We are all humans. We are all different. No one is a weirdo. No one will be alone unless he decides to be alone. Make changes so you will like yourself more not because you want others to like you more, people!

Bullying for attention

Hi, so I’ve pretty much been bullied most of my school life, in primary and secondary (high school). I have this condition which is known as a lazy eye, and I was bullied for it. I would be called “pirate”, “cockeyed”, “wonky eyed”, “one eyed”. I was called these names for about two years. This is why I have social anxiety and low self esteem. The bullying in high school was the worst, I got really depressed from this. The main reason why I was called things like “cockeyed” and “transvestite” was because of my appearance. I never really saw the point in beauty and wanting to look good enough for anyone. Ive also been in fights in high school because people bullied me.

The one girl

I was a nervous, olive skinned short hair girl with a temper just itching to escape. I wasn’t particularly strong, but I certainly stuck out due to my weird personality and love of cute clothing.
She was a different story… Her personality was tough and malicious, often she forced her voice to go deep and chavvy to intimidate me…it worked.
Because of me being a Buddhist, I hate turning to violence…ever. I like to remain calm and open hearted to people.
I didn’t tell teachers about it, but I was getting horrifically bullied on a daily basis by kids I didn’t even know. I guess you don’t want to feel annoying or like a tattle tale.
She stood out the most though…she was more LOUD and VOCAL. Often looking for approval for her insults by seeing how loud she can humiliate me. Everytime she commented on my race or hair, her voice would reach everyone within a good distance… Most of them would laugh and point.
It was humiliating.
Of course I didn’t fight back, I didn’t want to hurt anyone or appear to be the bully. Instead, I contacted that police and they issued a mark on her record for hate crime. Even proving the accusation with a recording off the school camera.
She stopped for a bit but recently has begun again… during a residential trip she met some popular boys and resorted to humiliating me and reverting back to her old ways to impress them.
I have been tripped up, threatened with a beating, shoved, humiliated, called racist and degrading names, had food and money thrown at my head and a group taunt me all because of her.
But I tell you all now…tell someone.
After I came off the bus crying my parents attempted to confront the mother and flat out told her that her daughter was a bully.
Only for her to deny it and insist that I was the culprit and not providing any quotes or actions that have made me the “bully”.
Tell someone…you don’t deserve to suffer. Sometimes the bully doesn’t even know what they are doing. Ignoring it won’t help.

Middle school sucks! (Thankfully it’s over)

I have been bullied since fourth grade, but it didn’t really bother me until middle school. My friends and I were getting bullied by two different groups of girls; girls who were popular and girls who wanted to be popular. The girls who wanted to be popular started bullying my friend and I in aftercare (6th grade). They were cutting us in line one day and we got upset and from then on they treated us rudely. They took our spot we always sat at, always were competitive with everything, laughed at us over EVERYTHING (once my sweater was inside out and they all started laughing at me), and constantly called my friend stupid (She had it worse). One day they kept asking my friend “how do I use my phone” and one girl kept giving my friend her phone. I told my friend they were laughing at her and setting her up (She some how didn’t even notice??) And she threw the girl’s phone on the floor. The next day we all were yelling at each other and after that they stopped messing with us. Until 7th grade, But I begged my parents to let me walk home to avoid all of that. Now to the popular girls who bullied me. It started in 6th grade and I honestly don’t remember how it started. They were just always mean to my friends and I. They just always laughed at how we looked and treated us like dirt. The “main popular girl” stole my friend’s lock and my friend got it back and didn’t even tell the coach who stole it when the coach asked! (It was one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had). One time they went through my binder and ripped out my comic page I drew. Another time the main popular girl sat next to me on a bench and said in a sarcastic tone “hey best friend” and started talking to me so I got up and walked away and it was hilarious how the girl and her friends got mad.  I said nothing because what they were didn’t upset me, it was just that they were trying to make me feel bad when they are supposed to be my friends. Middle school was the worst time of my life and sometimes I wish I can go back and say something. I’m going into 10th grade by the way. High school is much better and it’s probably because I went to a school in different area. I don’t know if all kids are like how they were in middle but I think it may have to do with the area I am in. My brother is being treated badly and can’t wait to leave middle school. Girls can be so mean to each other and it’s just them being insecure and I wish my friends would realize that so they can know there is nothing wrong with them. But I am getting better and ever since I have moved to a new school i have gotten a lot better! Moving to a new school really helps and so does say something 🙂

Trapped

This I believe isn’t a story like others. I believe that this should be brought up because this had happened to others as well. I saw it happen, cyber bullying that is. I barely knew the kid, Brandon, but I stood up for him. Suddenly I got a dm from the bully. And this was in November 2016. It’s currently July 20, 2017. It hadn’t stopped one bit. This person, I’ve got no clue who it is, knows my name, they know my face. I have to take their hate, and it’s not pretty. See this isn’t a story where someone tells me that I’m ugly. Every time I didn’t they’d post my face on their account and write mean comments. I felt depressed, suicidal, anxious, scared, self conscious, and worst of all, trapped. I am 14 and my life has been turned upside down. I made a mistake on a public account to post selfies of me and just my face in general and there you go, that was my mistake and I’m paying for it greatly. But for one little mistake I’m being harassed online? Why? What Is the purpose to that? I speak for dozens of instagramers who have been harassed by a complete stranger! I have not heard from Brandon since March and cyber bullying isn’t just hurtful, it’s a silent killer. Please listen to my story and do something, anything Instagram! I’m fed up! This is not okay words hurt!

Hurt

It all started when i started going to a new school with a lot of preppy school kids and I wasnt exactly a prep at all i loved black and recently had my parents divorce along with my brothers getting taken away from my home. My first day of school everyone was so nice to me but later all of that changed. I was a few months into school when everyone started calling me names like really mean words and I had no idea where they where getting these names from I thought they liked me. I became very hurt and went home crying I told my mom and she talked to the principal and the principal didn’t do anything. The next day I got my head shoved through a wall by one of the kids. I had a concussion after this and the principal saw the hole in the wall but still didnt do anything for me. My mom started to think I was lying because every time she contacted the principal she always said she didnt see anything so I was stuck at that school for a year and a half and then I moved in with my aunt because I was hurt and terrified to go back to that school. So I started going to a different school and it soon got a lot better and I still go there now.

P.S Thats just a brief summary of everything

:'(

I am currently a sixteen years old girl, about to begin my junior year of high school.
In the beginning of my freshman year, my group of friends became known as “the popular group” I guess, because a lot of upperclassmen knew us and would invite us to parties. I definetly was not the most popular or the prettiest of my friends, but I would not consider my self ugly by any stretch. Some of my friends were also close with the boys in our grade, but I was never invited to parties/hangouts with them, only to parties with the older boys. When my sophomore year came around, my friends and the boys in our grade started hanging out more frequently. Soon there was a group chat made with my girl friends and the boys in our grade, and I was put into the chat. So now, I was included in all of the plans and I started to know the guys in my grade more. In December of my sophmore year, one of the boys had a Christmas Party (alcohol involved) and the boys were not treating me very nicely, but I played it off as a joke because it was the first time this had really happened. Later that night, one of the boys was literally trying to “RKO” me, and later punched me in the face, and got it on video. When I woke up the next morning (with a bruise on my cheek), and for a few weeks following the incident, I tried not to think about what happened, and I did not let it get to me. The boys began to talk and laugh about what had happened that night and made a meaningless nickname for me (which I am not going to share). The next few months, I grew increasingly upset over the event and was never diagnosed, but worried that I had been depressed. I had convinced myself that I was ugly, worthless, and that nothing good will ever happen to me.
During our lunch period one day at the end of my sophmore year, a few of them were texting in the group chat, and the same guy who punched me sent a text that referred to me as the nickname and made fun of me for a very personal insecurity about my life, and then continued to make fun of me for other stupid things. That day was the first day I had ever cried at school. After holding on my tears at lunch, I cried for over half a period in the bathroom, thankfully with a friend at my side. After school I gathered all my remaining strength and constructed a long text to the guy who punched and texted me and I sent it. . The bullying died down for a while after that, but by the time summer began, they were back in full swing, making me feel bad about myself every possible chance. You are probably wondering why I still hangout with them, and I guess it’s because although they can be mean to me, I enjoy hanging out with all of them because I have really great (girl) friends and I am hoping that one day it will end. Also, a lot of times it is hard to for others to recognize that someone is bullying me, but their words to me make me feel degraded as a person and lower my self esteem.

I was able to handle all this, and I am still able to handle all this until today in the group chat (which I rarely text in to avoid the degradation I feel when they acknowledge me), one of the boys asked me a question and called me by my last name, which he misspelled. Apparently everyone thought his misspell was so funny and they all kept spelling my last name in ridiculous variations even though the spelling is quite simple. One of them then copy and pasted a text that I had sent about a week ago, making fun of a perfectly normal, two word text that I sent. I then responsed with “:'(” meaning a crying face, because that guy had used the same “:,(” a few minutes ago. Another one of the boys (not the one who punched me) then asked in the group chat “is the apostrophe supposed to be a mole on your face”. This is the first time that anyone had directly made fun of my appearance, and although much worse things have been said, this was somewhat of the last straw.

I don’t know if I am doing something wrong. I don’t know how to stand up for myself. I don’t know what to do.

The past is NOT the past

I was emotionally bullied. My story starts in 4th grade, and ends in 6th grade where I changed schools because of “my grades.” Growing up I had a severe overbite. Since I was born with it I prefer to think of it as a malformation or a facial deformity. It is fixed now with surgery but that is beside the point. This made a very poor social life, and as that innocent easily manipulated 4th grader who was naive about a lot of things back then, I was the perfect target. I went to a private school with a class size of 16 kids total. There was always an odd number of girls, and people liked to pair up. I don’t know why, it just happened. A girl, who I will call Sam, which is not her name, was the start of the whole experience. Some days were worse then others and it started with rejection. Sam was a girl I hung out with, but after 3rd grade, something changed. She shushed me when I tried to speak to her. She told me the conversation was “private.” Then, my other classmates started to take her lead. I would flee to the girls bathroom on the other end of campus, and hide and cry, because a different pair told me it was “none of my business.”. But it got worse. Soon, I was excluded from every single activity. It didn’t matter if they needed an extra hand with a fort, mine weren’t good enough anyway. This is around the time my grades started to slip. The next year, my reading level went down. I skipped school, faked headaches in class, hid in the bathroom (a lot), and did anything to get me out of school. I spent time in the art classroom. It was either this or picked dead last for a sport, excluded from things my classmates were doing, couldn’t join a “private” conversation or a conversation that was “none of my business,” which seemed to pop up rather often. I could barely read then. I was in 5th grade and my reading level was consistent with my 2nd grade sister, who was starting to read chapter books and I was stuck reading children’s books with lots of pictures. My self confidence went down – it’s still down to this day. I became angry at home. So I was hurt at school and angry at home. I took things out on my parents, I started to see a therapist, who dealt with kids like me. She suggested that I read at lunch. I tried to pick up a book, but each time I tried, I felt bad about myself, those big words didn’t make sense to me. Rumors were spreading around about me, and as a result, I became extremely paranoid. My mom said that a parent once asked her if I was “emotionally disturbed,” she had heard that from her daughter. After my grades started to slip, and my teacher developed this famous saying when I finally got up the courage to tell him I was having friend issues “not my problem!” My parents started to look at other schools. So I changed schools. My classmates were so sad to see me go. No they actually weren’t. My going just confirmed what they had already decided I was, “emotionally disturbed.”

In 7th grade at a new school, my self esteem started to go up. I didn’t have many friends, but people spoke to me, and let me speak as well, which made all the difference.
I continue to have a low self-esteem problem, but I have made friends who support me no matter what. So, happily ever after? Well, after I started at a public high school, and managed to get a 3.5 GPA, I would definitely say so! Still, even though this sounds mild compared to a lot of stories, repeated exclusion from activities, picked last at every single PE game, rejected when talked to, ignored and forgotten by people, rumors that I was “emotionally disturbed”, after 2 years of this, every single day, and lasted long after Sam left, it does take it’s toll on my emotional state, and still does. Emotional bullying has it’s permanent problems too.