bullying

Bedtime is the sweet part of the day when Ruby and I finally get to be alone, and the moment when I get the real scoop on what's happening in her life at school. When Ruby is sleepy and her brothers aren't competing for my attention, she drops her guard and offers me brief glimpses into her rich imaginary world, her friendships, and her feelings about our family. Last night, as Ruby told me about what she did at recess that day, my heart hurt a little. She described hanging out with her best buddy at school and went on to tell me about a joke they played on another girl.  Read more >

Growing up in a small semi-rural town, I was an easy target for people to pick on. My outspokenness automatically made me different from my classmates. Added in was my love for Tori Amos, long skirts and liberal politics. To understand the extent of how much I was bullied, I’ll share one example. In 8th grade during computer class, I sat in a Popular Blonde Girl’s seat to be near a friend. We didn’t have assigned seats, which is why I sat there. The Popular Blonde Girl freaked out, looked me in the eye and said, “If I was you, I’d kill myself.”  Read more >

I had to double check what I read the other morning -- that a fifth grader, a 10-year-old girl, killed herself. Things had gotten so bad in Ashlynn Connor’smind that she had just asked her mom to homeschool her the day before she was found hanging by a scarf in her closet. So many things about this story are disturbing. First of all, Ashlynn’s young age. Kids are thrust into difficult situations younger and younger, and we’re seeing it reflected in horrific news stories. Why is this?  Read more >

There has been a lot of talk about bullying lately and I feel like I need to chime in and share my experiences in hopes that it can help others. I have spent many years dealing with bullies for one reason or another and I am just so thankful that I have a wonderful loving family that made me realize how valuable I truly am so I didn't give in to the depression or desperation that can sometimes come with the bullying. All too often these days you hear stories of a child -- yes a CHILD -- who has taken their own life because they were bullied.  Read more >

Can tens of millions of bloggers help stop bullying? We believe the answer is yes. Bullying is not just ‘kids being kids’. It can have a damaging impact on children, on families, and on communities. Too many kids are victims of bullying and too few witnesses step in to do something about it. We know that the vast majorities of teens are NOT engaged in bullying, but when it occurs, everyone has the power to stop bullying when they see it happen.  Read more >