Over the past five months I have written several posts telling you the gory, graphic details of the effects bullying has on everyone – the victims, the families, the friends, and yes, even the bullies themselves. Recently I began honoring the victims of bullycide – those kids who have committed suicide because of the relentless bullying they had to endure most of their young lives. There are literally hundreds of stories and I intend to tell them all. I even took a leap of faith and told my own bullying story. I was stunned at your many wonderful responses. Like my fellow blogger, Alan Eisenberg, I learned something shortly after posting my story that, although I already knew, I finally totally got: I am not alone. Since I told my story I have literally gotten emails from kids and adults alike eager to share their bullying stories with me. A couple of weeks ago I introduced to one of my new email friends. Hannah is a 15-year old aspiring writer who was inspired enough to tell her own bullying story. To read her story follow this link: Love is Louder: The Real Story.
Alan Eisenberg has been blogging bullying stories for the past 4½ years. His blog is titled Bullying Stories: Dealing with bullying from an adult perspective. As he writes on his website, I am hoping to collect your stories and start to share in what I believe to be the long-term effects that being bullied or being a bully has on us adults. Alan was blogging about bullying before it was fashionable to do so. Way back in May 2007, he wrote his very first post about the first time he recalled being bullied. It’s called: Bully Incident #1: You Killed Jesus (1976). I suggest you guys check out Alan’s terrific website. Early on in his posts he correctly points out that what we as adults perceive as kids being kids truly is bullying in the eyes of the victim – a point that I believe has been lost on a large percentage of adults. Alan concluded his first post with these very insightful words: This is just the beginning. The ending, unfortunately leads me to this point, 28 years later, to want to tell the story and hear your stories, so we all can learn, and hopefully help others. I wonder if Alan had any idea back then where his efforts would lead him.
I, like Alan, believe that by telling our stories and your stories that we can inspire people to make a difference in this crazy world we live in. Yeah, it’s crazy, but it’s also wonderful if we all can just learn how to treat others as we would want to be treated. I know what you’re thinking: If it were only that easy! I hear you, but as long as there are people like Alan who calls this his crusade and me calling it my mission and many others like us, I believe that it will get better – now and forever.
When I was little, my mom told me
happiness was the key to life.
When I went to school they asked
what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I wrote down “happy.”
They told me I didn’t understand the assignment.
I told them they didn’t understand life.
-Unknown
Comments on: "Why We Must Tell Our Bullying Stories" (2)
Kevin – I don’t know what to say. I am honored and almost speechless by your comments about me and my website. It is wrong to say that what I have tried to do over these last 4 1/2 years is a passion. It is something I feel just needed to be done and I want to help others as well as heal myself. The internet and social media tools have given a voice to many of us that felt alone and had no easy method before to spread the word to help both ourselves and others. Somehow, by accident, you and I both stumbled upon the same way to share our stories and try to help the anti-bullying cause. I, too, think what you are doing is both noble and difficult. It takes courage, I know. I hope we continue to share as others join in this mission or crusade to make people aware of the damage that bullying can and does do. Yes it can get better, but it takes a community, a village, the world, to understand first.
Well said, Alan…I firmly believe that we can and will make it better. Keep up the good work…and so will I!