“Around 4 years ago, my worst bully was a boy who, for a whole school year, made it his mission to make my life hell. It started off tame, and morphed into lunch sessions that would end with me crying in the bathroom or a physical assault that ended with my father going to his house and telling him never to speak to me again. Which he didn’t, until one summer night four years ago…”

Being bullied started very early on for me. At first, it was silly things like being left out and someone saying, “We don’t want to play with you today” and “Nobody is your friend.” As I got older, it changed to not feeling accepted by any group—being told I would never fall in love as

When I heard that we were doing Tyler’s Suite, I knew it was going to be a difficult experience for me because I have a strong connection with the sentiment behind the story. Some people just do not understand the toll that bullying takes on people, no matter what form it’s in. I grew up

When I was in 8th grade, I would have never predicted how intolerable my high school career would be. I was always the chubby girl who died her hair different colors and wore tons of black. I put myself out there as different in a school where being Caucasian was the minority. Looking back, I

My name is Joe Mannetti. I am an anti-bullying blogger for the We Are 1 Voice group based in Florida. I became involved in this journey as a result of what I witnessed and experienced myself. I have not shared my personal bullying ordeal in this forum until now. This is my story. I moved

I always knew I was different. I was always told so. My name is O’Neal Leon Wyche, Jr., and I’m a Champion Against Bullying. ​​ I grew up in a small town in South Georgia where everyone knew each other and their secrets. I was fortunate to have a loving mother and supportive stepfather, a

When I was a teen, I would have been mortified to admit I was being bullied. My junior high and high school years were the worst time of my life. As a poor kid at the rich kids’ school in a small town, I was targeted for not having the same experiences as everyone else:

If you are facing any kind of stress, harassment or feelings of hopelessness, don’t wait another moment to reach out for help. Here are some great organizations that can help you now: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255), The Trevor Project (866-488-7386) and the Jed Foundation I’m really questioning the stories with schools filled with

From the moment a student enrolls, school becomes our second home. We create connections with our peers, mentor relationships with our teachers, and we learn the hallways of our schools inside and out. School serves as a refuge from conflicts in our personal lives, and sometimes the only solace we have is the familiar classroom

If you are facing any kind of stress, harassment or feelings of hopelessness, don’t wait another moment to reach out for help. Here are some great organizations that can help you now: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255), The Trevor Project (1-866-488-7386) and the Jed Foundation During my 7th grade year, I trusted a friend

I was a freshman in college in 2006, when 18-year-olds across the country were discovering that their MacBooks came with cameras. One of them was Anna, who lived in my dorm and decided to use hers to spy on her roommate. Anna’s roommate was shy and awkward; whenever I saw her, she was reading a

Growing up in the ’70s and trying to figure out who you were was very hard. I knew I was gay when I was about 8 years old. When I was in the 4th grade, I had told someone I thought was a friend that I liked girls. She appeared not to care at the

In 5th grade, Billy would come home after school and sit in his big comfy chair covered under a blanket, not wanting to talk to anyone. His grades fell. And my bouncy, free loving goofy child was replaced with a blob who was going through the motions of the day. Of course he refused to

My 6 year old daughter was bullied mentally, physically, and verbally every day in school. This is her story. The teachers and principals wouldn’t do anything, not matter how hard we fought. By the time we, as her parents, could do anything about it, the damage had already been done. No apology was made and

As a mixed Asian child growing up in a white community, I never fit in. My family was not as affluent as the other families, and as much as I tried to fit in, I didn’t. I wasn’t blonde, blue-eyed, and stick thin….I had almost black hair, dark brown eyes, and more muscular. I won’t

I don’t really know if I got bullied. At least that’s what I tell people when they ask me the fitting question. I got called names (cause I’m overweight and not interested in the things others are/ were), but I never really complained and always thought that there were others who suffered worse. There was

I’ve been bullied from elementary through High school. It wasn’t bad in elementary school I got name called and boys my age would put their face in front of me and call me a name. In Middle school, boys my age would start ‘Dating’ me then ‘breakup’ with me the day after and bully me

One year ago, I signed the Tyler Clementi Foundation’s Upstander Pledge. In doing so, I promised to make others feel safe and included, to speak up if I see bullying occur and not to use offensive or homophobic language. As is any promise, saying it is much easier than doing. But since I have signed

“I was raised by a single mother who worked several jobs to make sure my siblings and I had enough food on the table to eat along with basic necessities. I was raised in Paterson, NJ where I was bullied by my classmates because of my overbite and because my mother could not afford name

“I come to the Tyler Clementi Foundation threefold- first as a humanitarian, second as a public school counselor, and third as a parent. As a humanitarian, school counselor and parent, I have the opportunity to teach people about bullying. I choose to be an Upstander in many ways. There are so many bystanders observing bullying

“As a student, I went through many years of bullying at school, mostly in junior high and the first couple of years of high school. Though still very confused and unsure of my sexuality, every day I would be subjected to verbal harassment, being called “fairy,” “queer,” “gay-boy,” and many other names. Occasionally the insults

“I lost my sister to suicide, not to bullying, but know the impact it has left on those that loved her. I’m in full support of a program like this that supports diversity and helps those feeling so alone and rejected.”

“My son was bullied since he was in 1st grade. He is now a senior in college. His life was very stressful because of bullying. The kids that bullied him were so mean and called him gay, laughed at him, isolated him, got physical with him and tormented him. I talked to principals, teachers, counselors

“This story may be hard to tell but I’ll tell it. In middle school, I was a bully myself. I was picking on this one kid due to pressure from other people. I was lost in a way until the end of middle school when I actually felt bad for what I did, and I

“My name is Jaylene Medina and I was cyberbullied. My whole life changed with just one picture that I had sent. Once you put something out there it will never go away. People started making pages of me and made rude comments of me. So I attempted to commit suicide. Thankfully I’m still alive and

“As a mixed Asian child growing up in a white community, I never fit in. My family was not as affluent as the other families, and as much as I tried to fit in, I didn’t. I wasn’t blonde, blue-eyed, and stick thin. I had almost black hair, dark brown eyes and more muscular. I

“My 6-year-old daughter was bullied mentally, physically, and verbally every day in school. The teachers and principals wouldn’t do anything, no matter how hard we fought. No apology was made and no responsibility was held. Now, my daughter, at the age of 6, is severely depressed, has self-esteem issues, anxiety, been diagnosed with PTSD, has

“The time I was a teenager, I was so afraid to stand up for what I believe or the knowledge I have to share with my friends or relatives. Now, I share it openly without any fear. I know that everyone is so important to me. Every life is precious to me.”