Suicide & Bullies

Words for the bullied:

You're not alone. I know it might seems as if you're the only one, but you're not; and furthermore, you're not alone because there are millions of people who care about this issue and are doing everything they can to correct the problem. Stay strong and reach out!

When I was in school, I was bullied. I was constantly picked out of the bunch as the kid who deserves this negative attention. They called me names: dork, four-eyes, geek, nerd, faggot, etc... I was chased. I was harassed daily. Thankfully I was never assaulted any further than being tackled to the ground once. It was broken up before it could get too far. I was pulled out of public school by my parents because the school refused to do anything about it. Even the school had a terrible position, saying to my Mom "look at the way you dress him" and "of course he's going to be picked on with that backpack." The school was the one who sent out letters to parents about buying rolling backpacks because kids were developing back problems due to carrying heavy books around all the time. Trust me, I have been affected by this issue and I know I'm not the only one. Neither are you!

Please, don't let yourself believe that it's the end of the world. If you're having thoughts of suicide, tell your parents. Tell the school. there are plenty of numbers you can call and someone WHO REALLY CARES will be on the other end of the line. It's not wrong to feel terrible about being bullied. It's not wrong to feel very depressed about it. Everyone has to ask for help some day. Remember that YOU are not the one who is WRONG. There is hope and "this too shall pass."

Words for the bullies:


Do you realize what you are doing?

There are kids who have taken their own lives because they are being bullied. Maybe you have never felt terrible enough to consider suicide, but it's a really dark place and it's REAL. What you do is only pushing people closer to that terrible decision. Granted, there are people who don't commit suicide and they're able to take what you dish out, but how unfair is it even then to subject somebody to this? What great benefit is there to treating people like dirt? I promise that it will not help you advance any farther in life. It only increases the likelihood that you will be responsible in some way for the death of an innocent person. Do you really want blood on your hands?

I heard a story told by a former bully. He tells the story of how their was a kid everyone thought was homosexual. He and his friends would torment this kid on a daily basis. This kid would not shower with the other guys when gym class was over. He would wait until they were gone so he could shower. He thought he would be able to dress by himself when he was finished showering, but the bullies were waiting to whip him with towels until he cried. They called him all the names in the book. They made him an outcast. Imagine how alone and depressed this kid feels. He can go nowhere without having to be fearful of an attack. Who would be around the next corner to do something to him? He never knew but would always expect it. It was a daily occurrence for him. One day, this former bully did not go to school. His friends were not going to stop bullying this kid, though. On this day, they waited for the kid while he was showering then beat him while he was naked. All of them urinated on this kid. The next day, everyone went to school as usual except for one person. The kid who had been urinated on in the showers, who had been bullied every day of his school life, had taken his own life that night. Now it was finally clear to them what kind of damage bullying can do. A former bully, to this day, will never forget that face or what he has done. He will never be able to take back his terrible actions which lead to the death of a child. He will never be able to apologize or reconcile any of this because this poor kid is no longer with us.

There a probably a million and one things that would motivate you in bullying a person, but nothing can justify it. There is nothing righteous about treating a person like this. Granted, you may have problems of your own. You might even think ending your life is a better way out sometimes. I beg you to understand that bullying is not the answer. I beg you also to get some kind of help for your own pains. Don't let these things get too far. Everyone deserves a fair chance, a fresh start, and to not grapple with fear and pain while just starting out in life.

A message to parents:


Nobody can tell you exactly how to handle this issue. These are your kids and you know them better than anyone. Who else has been there since day one? Surely, you will never forget your child's first day of school. You are the first line of defense in this issue. Encourage your kids to talk to you about this. Do your best to make sure your kids are not bullying others. However you can best accomplish educating them about this, do your best. The last thing we need is for out schools to be a breeding ground for fear.