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Different
Posted: 4/8/2013
We are different in many different ways
Size, shape, and color,
Never meant to be the same.
Tall, short, skinny, or round
You have a voice
So make a sound.
We are different in many ways
You have a explosion inside you
Let it rain.
We are different in many different ways
Size, shape, and color,
Never meant to be the same.
By: Chandler
If You Are Bullying, STOP
Posted: 4/2/2013
It was the first day of school.
I didn't know anyone in the class, and i was shy, so I tried to warm up to the "semi-populars". We became good friends, and we still are now.
One day we had a field trip. On the bus, the semi-populars sat together, so I had no one to sit with, so I sat next to this girl. We talked and found out we had the same interests. I introduced her to the semi-populars, and we all became this "group". One of the semi-populars introduced us to a social media site. We made our own accounts and posted stuff.
A couple weeks later, my friend told me that she got a message from a girl called "Savy Fish". She called her stupid, and said she posed weird. She got really upset. It got to the point where she cut.
The semi-populars all of a sudden started acting . . . popular. They would wear neons, mustache rings, and zebra print. They cussed and gossiped behind people's back.
One day, they started spitting on my friend. They called her names. They sometimes slapped her.
And dare I say it, I did some of it too.
I had no idea what I was doing. I wanted to fit in and become "popular". I guess I was clueless and never thought about my friend's feelings.
Everything escalated to when she had to go see a private counsellor. The counsellor told her she had to take a risk test.
I felt so ashamed and angry at myself. I let popularity get in the way of my friendship, and I don't think I will ever forgive myself for it.
Thankfully, my friend was kind enough to forgive me and the semi-populars for what we have done, and we're still close.
And we think popularity is stupid.
If you think you're bullying someone, stop. It isn't right, and won't make anything better.
By: Nini
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I Am Not Going To Laugh
Posted: 4/1/2013
I have been left out of things and observed as an outsider since I started kindergarten.
I’ve been ridiculed because of my sense of style, the way I talk, and even my imagination. I don’t have any friends that have ever stuck up for me.
On my 13th birthday, I came home crying because everyone was acting as if I had contracted the Black Plague; everybody thought spending even a moment with me would mean certain death. People say I’m crazy and should be locked away with the key thrown away, but I believe any individual that gets pleasure with bringing someone down should be locked up instead and the people who join them because they want to fit in should go right along with the lot.
Everyone has their differences and nobody is perfect but if someone need to bring someone down to your level to be happy, their the one that is wrong, not me, just because I might talk funny or dress weird doesn’t give people the right to exchange words of cruelty towards me and laugh in my face.
People say that right now life is great. That we have machines and other people to do to do the hard work. People in my class complain about not having the newest game or gadget but they always seem to make fun of people who don’t have what they have.
I might not have the richest family in the world but I wouldn’t trade them for anyone or anything. I would rather be dirt poor with a good-hearted family than be filthy rich and have a mean and spiteful family.
I may be poor and not the prettiest person, but I’m smart. I can be patient and when those that hurt me have karma come back at them and they are hurting, I’m not going to be laughing like they would.
I’m going to help them.
Because that’s what a good person would do.
By: Tina
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I Am His Advocate
Posted: 3/22/2013
I have an 18 year old daughter and 10 year old twin boys. We are a very close family and I am very involved in their school and life. The older our children get the more independent they become and the less they want their parents around.
Nonetheless, I probe and talk and spend what time I can with them. Two weeks before Christmas one of my 10 year old twins came home from school, wrapped a cord around his neck and attempted to hang himself. His sister found him and from there was a whirlwind of four weeks of intense inpatient and outpatient therapy for my son as well as the rest of us.
He had been bullied for months on the bus and in school and decided the only way to stop the bullying was to end his life. This was the first indication for me that anything was wrong with him. After therapy he was still depressed and apprehensive to return to school but had to due to state regulations and because of the insurance companies denying payment for further treatment.
So my son returned to school where the bullying continued and again two weeks later cut his wrist this time. As parents it is hard to believe that a 10 year old would have the mind capacity to make a plan and follow through with it.
There has to be more that can be done for our children. I have decided to take a stand. I write to anyone who will listen. I have taken a picture of him and blew it up so everyone at the school district will never forget his name or face at the next school board meeting. The school told me not to talk about it but by not talking about it I am only adding to the problem and not the solution.
Suicide is rare at 10 years old so everyone needs to know that education needs to start earlier than middle school or high school. It needs to start now, in kindergarten where kids are the most impressionable. The parents need to be held accountable as well as the schools. More people need to be involved and aware. Ignorance is no excuse.
My son will not be a suicide statistic. I will fight to keep his story alive, keep the schools educated, and keep parents aware that it does affect everyone. I'm his advocate, his voice, and hope that others will know they are not alone.
By: Kristin
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SPERIAMO (ITALIAN for “LET’S HOPE”)
Posted: 3/19/2013
Dear PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center,
My name is Alex. I am a 10th grader in a Connecticut school. I have been selling T-shirts that I designed for a cause that is very important to me. Enclosed, please find my initial donation and a sample of my T-shirt.
I felt that the best way to support the bullying prevention movement was to reach out to the strongest bullying prevention center in our country.
For the most part we are all really lucky. Most of us have not seen bullying at its peak. With that, we have all seen it to some extent and we are all guilty of letting it happen; too scared to say anything or just unsure of the real impact it can cause. I am hoping to take a stand against bullying by selling my T-shirts and raise money to help those three million kids that have been bullied this year.
Thank you and I hope to donate to your organization in the future.
Sincerely, Alex
To order Alex’ T-shirt, visit the ZAZZLE website
By: Anonymous
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A Letter From Oskar
Posted: 3/19/2013
Dear Miss Goldberg,
My name is Oskar. I am 7 years old. I have heard friends say mean things about and I don’t like it! Please accept my allowance for this week. I hope this money helps to teach kids not to bully!
Your Friend,
Oskar
By: Anonymous
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One Year Anniversary
Posted: 3/18/2013
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
By: Courtney
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH MUSIC
Posted: 3/15/2013
A musician from Rochester, N.Y. "I am pleased to send you this enclosed check that is a result of my bullying prevention benefit concert," she wrote. The artist put on a show earlier this year and generously donated all of the proceeds to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. "I just wanted to make sure that I did something," she said in an interview.
In the article, she opened up about being a victim of bullying in both middle school and high school. At the age of 16, she picked up a guitar for the first time and realized how writing music allowed her to escape the feeling of low self-esteem. At the same time, music also helped her find a way to be both proud and comfortable with who she is. "If you’re different, I think that's a good thing,” she said. "I think it’s good to be your own person and be original." She says it's something you should truly embrace because it means you’ve found a maturity within yourself to be OK with standing out as your own person.
The artist has expressed her willingness to fight against bullying, not only through her music but by talking to young teens about bullying prevention and the impact bullying has on society.
By: Anonymous
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UNITING IN ORANGE
Posted: 3/15/2013
National Bullying Prevention Center,
On behalf of the nearly 800 students and faculty at our College Preparatory School in California, we are happy to send you this check from a very successful Unity Day at our school.
Upon learning about Unity Day from your website, the students and faculty raised money by donating at least $1 to wear jeans and orange shirts. Normally our students wear uniforms, but instead we literally turned the school into a sea of orange! Our sixth grade students also held a bake sale at lunch, including selling items like Unity Brownies.
Our school, just like all other middle schools, does face some issues of bullying. However, we believe that our students, faculty, and parents are working hard to ensure that all students are treated with respect and kindness. We appreciate the efforts of the PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center to provide resources and education in the movement to end bullying.
Please use this donation to continue keeping this issue at the forefront. We look forward to having opportunities to support your work in the future.
Sincerely,
College Preparatory School
By: Anonymous
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BENEFIT CONCERT AND DANCE
Posted: 3/15/2013
National Bullying Prevention Center,
On behalf of the our School of Dance and Performing Arts we would like to present this donation. Every year we hold a Benefit Concert to raise money for a charity or organization. Students and instructors have been donating their time and efforts since September in preparation for our annual event. Since bullying has recently affected our area significantly, students agreed that supporting bullying prevention would be the perfect cause this year. We are honored to present this donation to you.
Just to give you a little background about our School of Dance and Performing Arts, we are a small dance and drama school in western New York. We have less than 150 students, of which about 40 performed in different styles of dance. We held a "Donation Welcome" concert on Sunday afternoon and had a wonderful turnout. A beautiful space was donated for us to hold our concert which also helped with its success. Our annual Benefit Concert is one of the events about which our students get most excited. They feel so appreciative to be able to give back to the community by sharing something they love to do – dance!!
Sincerely,
School of Dance and Performing Arts
By: Anonymous
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