1. When I was growing up I went to school with a boy who was a bully. was very
aggressive and most students and teachers for that matter were afraid of him. He
didn't have many friends and was considered a trouble maker. I went to school with
this boy from kindergarten yet I didn't really get to know him until grade 5 when
the teacher sat him in the desk next to mine. At first I was a little worried but
decided I would try to be friendly towards him. As I got to know him I realized that
this boy had been through a lot in his life and wasn't bad because he was a mean
person but acted the way he did because he was hurting and sad. After we became
friends we would talk and when he we act out in class I would encourage him to
settle down. My friends would always question why I talked to him but I didn't care
because I took the chance to get to know him and realized he was a good person
that just needed a friend. Today myself and this boy are still great friends and I can
assure you that he is not a bully anymore. He credits me with helping him become a
better person because he says I was his first friend and the first person that he could
ever really talk to. I guess what I am trying to say is that sometimes you should try
to see beyond what everyone says and try to get to know people, the bully included.
You shouldn't judge anyone because you really don't know who they are unless you
give them a chance. In my case I'm glad I gave the "bully" in fifth grade a chance
because he turned out to be a great lifelong friend that just needed someone to
notice him and talk to him.
- Georgia Dracopoulos

2. In grade 6, I was in a group and we were the bullies to this one girl whom we used
to be good friends with. One day we began to exclude her from everything we did
and it continued every day after that. She began to tell the teacher on us, and this
only made it worse. We got mad and began to write things in a notebook about her
in front of her, so she heard everything we’ve said. But we pretended to be secretive
and spread rumors. The victim eventually left our school because she didn’t want to
be apart of this anymore. Back then, being in this group of bullies, we all thought
it was funny. But now I realize how dumb and wrong it was. Also cant imagine what
the victim went through, having her friends turn on her and be so cruel. If I could
go back, I would change my actions.
- Samantha Zambri

3. Dear Victims of Bullying
My name is Jamaal Segree and I want to take the time to talk to about experiences that you
have encounter with a bully. Bullying comes in all types of shapes and forms, weather it is
Physical, Cyber, or just gossiping, it can have a huge impact on you in your life. Say if you
are the new kid in school or moving into a new neighborhood, you might feel a little bit
nervous or scared at first but you are feeling confident in yourself. To add on the pressure
you may speak a little bit different from the other children so that makes it way worst.
Bullies are always going to find something to bully you but it is not your fault. Some of the
reasons why kids bully each other because they can feel empowered which they don’t feel any
place else or they have been bullied and don’t know how to deal with it. Whatever the case
might have been, it is wrong for someone to experience that type of behavior. For you guys
who are being bullied, you should talk to someone, it helps a lot. Just remember, you are not
alone. Talking to someone about your anger or sadness will help to relax and bring you
comfort.
To the bullies out there
There are many reasons that you want to bully someone that I don’t agree with. One of the
reason’s might be you feel empowered that you can control someone else in a single moment.
Or it could be you have a group of kids doing the work for you and respecting you as a
leader. Whatever it is, it’s wrong to bully someone. Not only you are hurting the person in a
physical way, but it takes a emotional toll on them. The victim’s esteem goes down quickly,
being afraid all the time and dealing with trust issues. I don’t know if you guys bully for fun
or someone pressured you to join their group but think about what you are doing.
- Jamaal Segree

4. When I was back in elementary school, I was bullied because of my father’s
religion. I went to a Catholic school and while my mother was Catholic, my father
was Muslim. My brother and I both went through our elementary school
experiences being called terrorists and murderers. It definitely did change my life
because at one point I stopped trusting people and was scared to go to school
because of what I had to face on a daily basis. To the bullies out there, think about
your actions and words before you do or say anything. You may not even realize how
something you may consider a joke may truly hurt someone. To those being
bullied, it will get better. One of my best friends once said “It’s not about fitting in,
it’s about carrying on” and now it is one of my favourite quotes. Live for yourself
and don’t let words get you down. There are people out there who will love and
support you in anything you do. Focus on what you love about yourself, because it
truly is amazing.
- Khadegia Sherif

5. During middle school I was a bully. I thought It was so cool to make fun of others. I
wanted to gain acceptance from this girl. We soon became best friends and would
always make fun of our fellow classmates. I recall telling this one guy that he
looked like a skinny tree with glasses. All the other classmates were laughing while
he just stood there. I’m not going to lie, at the time it was very funny. Looking back
at it, I’ve noticed how wrong it was to do this to this guy. He didn’t do anything
wrong. We just picked on him because he looked different. There is nothing wrong
with being different I have come to relies in my years of growing up. To all the
other peers I had made fun of during this time I have in fact apologized when given
the chance. This one girl appreciated it so much and now every time she sees me she
always waves a friendly hello. Although I may have been a bully, I feel as if I have
overcome this and in fact helped booster their self-esteem (to the ones I have
apologized to). They are now able to put up with difficult situations when things
get tough. If I could change ever being a bully, I wouldn’t. It allowed me to get
first-hand experience of how cruel children can be and how much the victim hurts.
Having this experience has made me never want to be a bully again.
- Cristina Rasile

6. I can't say I have ever been bullied before, though I did know people who were bullied and
who were bullies. I've always been shy, quiet & just to myself however I don't feel like I
was ever a target for bullies to pick on. However, during middle school I remember a girl
who was always teased because of the way she looked. There was a boy who would always
pick on her and call her animal names. We never knew it bothered her because she would
laugh it off all the time. We were around 11 years old at the time, but I wasn't really her
friend we were only classmates. I remember this boy getting other kids involved in the
bullying with him. They even started a club called, “Haters R Us” dedicated just to this
girl. On top of all the teasing and badgering, this boy even created a hate website. It had
her picture on it with an animal, I remember it clearly. He didn't hide it at all, in fact he
showed the rest of the class at school! This went on for about 2 years. I remember this
girl always laughing it off. She would just smile and laugh along with them. I would say
she was a very strong girl. However, because she was laughing along I believe it just
provoked the bullies to bully her more. I later in high school found out that she was
actually hurt from it all when she told me. Though I had no idea that she was bothered by
it. It just goes to show you that even when people have a giant smile on their face you
never truly can know how they actually feel inside. It's simple. Bullying is not a joke. It
definitely needs to be taken more seriously because bullying does hurt. Words hurt.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” This is a false
statement. Words can stick with you forever. The strongest part of your body is actually
your tongue. It can make someone's day very happy, or it can make someone’s day very
miserable. We have all encountered bullying experiences and we know how it feels to be a
bully, be the victim and be the bystander. It's time to do something about it.
- Laura Castillo Flores