A CHILD'S STORY
While I often hear from parents and children that we have helped, seldom do I get a note that outlines the journey to being bully-free, so beautifully.
The following is a note from a child we helped.
It wasn't always easy feeling included. In Grade 5 I was known as someone to pick on. I never knew that Grade 5 boys could be so immature and harsh like they were. I felt ugly, I felt unconfident, I felt everything that a girl would never want to feel like. I didn't feel like I mattered.
………my sister ... told my mom that they could help me out and make me feel like I mattered. So my mom phoned right away and told them what was going on.
I was a little bit nervous at first, but when we started to talk to
Steve a little bit more I felt really happy and I felt like I finally
had a place in society! Steve made me feel great about myself and gave really good advice. It all meant a lot to me. Steve was like a hero to me. And now, I'm as happy as can be. And nothing people said to me mattered.
What Did The Boys Say?
I was called a horse face for so long. They said I was ugly and had no
friends. They said no one likes me and everybody hates me and I should just move away. They said that they would have a BIG HUGE party to celebrate me leaving. They talked behind my back, they talked to my friends about how ugly and stupid I was, and then I felt... Like an ugly stupid horse face.
But that wasn't all. They said I was the bully, and that they didn't even do anything. They said I was a tattle tale, and judged me by how I dressed.
Everyday I came back crying to my mom. And I had to miss two days of school because of what they did.
"Your such a spazz you just want to skip school to brag about it to your friends" They told me when I came back. Only if I had friends....
After this I felt hopeless, because we tried to get help from the
school but it just seemed it made things worse. I felt like my only choice was to leave school, because nobody wanted me there anyways. But when we saw Steve, he explained to me that the bullying wasn't about me, but it was about the bullies feeling the power. So then he gave me some tools that I could use to stop it.
I just want to thank Steve and tell him how much he meant to me. He's really changed a lot in my life.
I don't love school, but I'm not afraid to go anymore. I now have a best friend who cares about me, and my marks have gotten way better in school. And my self confidence has raised to the sky