[Dog on a Tree]

I was bullied once but it was only for a year or so. That was when I was in middle school. Other than that, i've been lucky

Bullying can take place anywhere, be it at: home, school, college, university or at work. It can take place in social settings also. I've also seen documentaries about bullying leading to taking one's own life.

To anyone out there who has or is experiencing bullying. Do not put up with it. Your not alone. This forum is here to support you as well as the members of this forum.

[gayleggg]

I agree. Thanks for your post. Bullying is alive and well. We shouldn't have to put up with it. Reach out.

[Hellion]

I wish when I was growing up I had, had the option of not putting up with it...I do not feel I really had that luxury however. I couldn't pretend to be sick every day I had school.

[lizardlady]

I was bullied throughout school. I was short, skinny, smart (not acceptable for a girl), a klutz, terminally shy and had buck teeth and omigawd red hair AND wore glasses. Add to that we moved every couple of years, so I was always the "new kid." Combined with the terminal shyness was a complete lack of social skills. I might as well have worn a sign that said "bully me."

I'm with you Hellion. I wish I'd had an option to not have to put up with it. And yep, I got "sick" a lot too to try and avoid it.

I don't know about other areas, but the local school systems where I live claim to have zero tolerance for bullying. It still happens. Last year a young girl (middle school age) killed herself because of bullying at school.

[Dog on a Tree]

It's ridiculous how schools, etc claim to have zero tolerance and yet certain individuals within the system, turn a blind eye.

[Fuzzybear]

Thanks for this post (bullies suck )

[Dog on a Tree]

As I become a better/stronger person, I want to help and protect people from bullying. Also help people cope and deal with bullying.

Fuzzybear, have you ever experienced bullying? I hope not.

[Fuzzybear]

I have (mostly at school, I was a fat little bear and very shy )

[Dog on a Tree]

But your not experiencing bullying now, right? I'm sorry that you went through that. Your better than those bullies, plus your a bear!

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by Dog on a Tree

It's ridiculous how schools, etc claim to have zero tolerance and yet certain individuals within the system, turn a blind eye.

It seems like it more is zero tolerance for any retaliation or expressions of frustration due to being bullied as usually that gets punished before bullying, or that person will be targeted as the 'bully' for maybe having one outburst after 5 other kids wouldn't stop flicking spit wads at them day after day.

Basically it seems very backwards.

[Dog on a Tree]

Originally Posted by Hellion

It seems like it more is zero tolerance for any retaliation or expressions of frustration due to being bullied as usually that gets punished before bullying, or that person will be targeted as the 'bully' for maybe having one outburst after 5 other kids wouldn't stop flicking spit wads at them day after day.

Basically it seems very backwards.

What also is weird, is that some people think bullying helps weed out the weak from the strong. I've seen people post online that bullying is good

[berthegel]

Hello
, I was bullied at school a bit , thumped by a teacher, mugged was sexually interfered with when about 7 years old, and the one thing I should have done in each case was tell parents, friends.
bullies are always scummy low life's who need to get rid of their feelings of inadequacy by picking on some one who they think is lower them, confide in a parent if you can.
Bullies can sometimes bully someone becuase they are secretly jealous of them and sometimes bully blindly and will pick on anyone (in the UK there is a phrase "kicking the cat"
Which means when someone gets or does something wrong they kick out blindly at someone else to blame, so try if you can not to take it personally)
Bye

[Dog on a Tree]

I'm sorry to read that you were bullied. I hope that you were able to overcome the bullying and that it does not effect you now?

[stayingafloat]

I think i have been bullied almost everywhere i went, schools, neighborhood, places where teens hang out. And when i couldnt take it, tried to stand up for myself, it got worse.
This ongoing neighborhood dispute and abuse had a long lasting effect on me, it got me more paranoid and make me say things that others use to mock against me which in turn got me more paranoid, and i couldnt take it anymore which made me took it against these abusive people. Even up till now, even though my parents had finally arranged us to move out in 5 months, im still paranoid at these people. i couldnt wait anymore and i am making plans to rent a temporary care centre to stay at.
currently feeling so empty, depressed at everything

[secretgalaxy]

I was bullied because I was smart and stuttered. I couldn't ever find the right words. I was really tall and lanky and I am of a mixed heritage, with my mother coming from Bulgaria (white), and my dad being an African American. The worse years were 1st, 5th,and 6th. 1st, my teacher divided us by race in the classroom and there was no where for me to sit, so I got moved all year. Each table either shunned me completely or physically hurt me, stole my pencils etc. And when I did stand up for myself I was the one to get in trouble. Thankfully I had a mother who helped me through the rough times.

For some reason I end up bullied wherever I go. In every one of my three primary schools, my secondary school, gymnastics, horse riding in every riding school I went to, girl scouts..

And no one gives a *****.

[monkeybrains21]

I personally have never been bullied. My twin on the other hand was bullied all the time for a bit. She was terminally I'll and chemo made her lose her hair. Kids were mean. She'd come to me and I'd go with her and confront the bullies. I guess I have a way I looking at them that caused them to pause and rethink what they were about to do or say. Some bullies took it further and I wound up in fist fights but they never bothered my sister again. I don't care what a schools zero tolerance is, it works better in theory since it's rarely enforced.

I'm the anti bully kids came to and befriended cuz I took no **** from bullies. I didn't have a great family and parent that cared but I didn't go out and make others feel like crap to make myself feel better.

[Northern_Spirit]

Im all grown up now but was bullied hard through middle and high school. I moved twice in those transistion periods. I was always the outsider. I ended up keeping myself busy online, reading, and i ignored what they had to say. Deep down i knew they were just acting that way because they felt insecure. I eventually started to feel sorry for them because i knew what would happen to them. Now i look on facebook at their pages and theyre all in abusive relationships, unhappy, alcoholic, single and pregnant etc. Karma came back and bit them hard. I still feel really sorry for them bacause i know life couldnt have been easy but what goes around comes around so hang in there. It all doesnt matter after highschool anyways.

[Angelique67]

I was bullied a lot in school. It was hellish and it did affect the rest of my life unfortunately. They seem to pick on smart or shy kids.

what a great post.

to add to the part about people can take their own lives, that is so true.

i knew someone once, linzy, who did just that

she was so sick of how people treated her and the names she was being called

[nicoleflynn]

It must be a generational thing; I am 68 and when I was growing up, I was never bullied, nor did I ever hear of anyone that was. No respect at all in our society; how sad and sometimes tragic (when these kids take their lives.)

[Seqoya]

I was made fun of alot when I was in school it really hurt me at the time.

Thanks for this post. Bullying is a big problem.

[Dog on a Tree]

Originally Posted by wlgreen

I was made fun of alot when I was in school it really hurt me at the time.

Thanks for this post. Bullying is a big problem.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Does it still effect you now?

[BeaFlower]

I don't know if what I experienced is really bullying, but at middle school I was mocked a lot (I was shy, good at school and not good in sports); they said that I was ugly and almost nobody wanted to spend time with me. At high school it went better, but I was still a bit isolated.
I don't know if it's for this, but still now I always expect to be refused.

[dwfieldjr]

Originally Posted by nicoleflynn

It must be a generational thing; I am 68 and when I was growing up, I was never bullied, nor did I ever hear of anyone that was. No respect at all in our society; how sad and sometimes tragic (when these kids take their lives.)

Wish I was in school when you were.