Saturday, May 5, 2012

"How I Feel": 11-Year-Old Girl Talks about Being Bullied

A member of the facebook blog page sent me a message that she'd gotten through yet another friend.  I'm so glad she did.  The story I read was heart wrenching.  It was heart wrenching because, with this, one can see that it doesn't get any clearer that there's a major injustice being afforded young people all around this country, and around the world.
How I feel: I want to leave the underworld that I’m in. I get hurt, cussed at and flipped off every day. Where ever I go at (school name) I feel like I get killed and go to the underworld. Whenever I see and /or hear the place, I get afraid. I don’t want to lie, I don’t feel safe, and I don’t want to get hurt. All I need is an apology from the whole 5th grade classes. I need to feel safe. The teachers aren’t listening at all. I even get threatened at (school name). It’s named after a solder, but nobody is that in my class. I feel that I am better in jail than (school name). I don’t need education, I need safety. I don’t need to lie about the cussers, I tell the truth. I think their motto isn’t true. I think it’s a lie. I’m scared!!! I’m better in an underworld than in (school name). I just want to be on earth, not the “H word” (hell)”.
This girl is just 11-years-old.  At that tender age, she's already having to go through now only the bullying that we're seeing far too much of today, but yet again an administrative staff that does nothing to intervene or prevent it.  And, because of their lack of responsibility in this case, her musician, single-parent dad has to embark upon a crusade to draw attention to the situation.  It shouldn't have to be that way.  Luckily for her, she has a father who is committed to making sure his daughter's well-being is a priority in her school.

[I'm going to leave her anonymous for now.  Her father will make comments to the blog if and as he sees fit.]

As part of his mission, he had his daughter write, in her own words, exactly how being constantly bullied made her feel.  On the up side, hearing a first-hand, first-person recant of what it's like to have to endure constant bullying it extraordinarily powerful.  The down side, of course, is that she and her dad have to go to this length in the first place.

The part that really got under my skin, however, was the girl saying that her "...teachers aren't listening at all."  How can that be?  How can it be possible that, in today's world, with bullying and teen suicides being in headlines around the world and almost daily, the school administrators can even think of taking the easy way out and not pay attention to a student who's reaching out for help?  Worse, there are those who simply say they don't believe the bullying is taking place!  Once again, I have to say that there needs to be accountability.  What my hope is, of course, is that the father will provide the necessary information, i.e. school name, name of administrators, etc., so that a massive email and phone call campaign can descend upon that school.

Things are only going to continue to change as long as people like this courageous and devoted dad continue to stand up and speak out again the environment of hatred and intolerance that we're witnessing today.  Keeping bullying, and all of the tragic aftermath that comes with it, on the back burner and out of the headlines is a travesty.

Kudos to you, dad, for stepping up and forcing this issue to be looked at on your daughter's behalf.  Whether you know it or not, your efforts will have a ripple effect on countless other students who are also dealing with being bullied.

8 comments:

  1. Keep fighting, keep moving forward, don't give up!
    do not let the hate win. I'll be rooting for you and your endeavor to try and make sure the bullying stops.

    this sort of hate and fear that is a cause from such hate must end if we, humanity, want to move forward.

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  2. while i agree that it is a travesty that this kind of behavior is NOT being the center of attention in every school system and i totally agree that what this father is doing is amazingly strong and courageous i think it should be noted that this has been happening since the dawn of time. i believe there is hope for change. BUT i think that what needs to happen is EVERY parent in EVERY school needs to make a massive email campaign in their own school district to stamp out hate and bigotry and bullying. and not just the parents either. maybe you dont have children but that doesn't mean you dont know someone who has a child going through this. you see i went through this at the school system i went to and it even went so far as my having been molested by one of my teachers. i believe that LOVE, EDUCATION, and accountability are the KEY factors in this. parents who are teaching hate to their children and who do nothing about their kids bullying other children are equally accountable. it's time we made severe consequences for these actions and stop the hate NOW. so i urge you all to do what others have done and stand up against the hate. take a stand against the laziness of the establishment and GET INVOLVED with the efforts in your community to stop this behavior once and for all. we are one race, one people, and it is called human. i think it's high time that we all started acting like it. thank you for sharing this and thanks to the dad. and yes i DO hope as well that he names names and points fingers at those responsible for allowing this poor child to have to feel this way when it can and should be avoided. so please sir if you read this PLEASE don't hide the name of the school or those responsible. and PLEASE tell you daughter that she is not alone and that there are literally thousands upon thousands of people who are doing all we can to help stop the hate and bullying she is going through. see i know what's it's like to go through that and feel like you are all alone cuz my parents did nothing. so young lady please know that there are those of us who made it through it and if you need us we are there to help in any way we can. :D

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  3. Hats off, it takes a brave person to take on a task like this. When things get bad, and you feel like you're stuck in a tunnel of darkness, remember that the light of hope is always just around the corner. Press on and keep fighting. May the gods watch over you and yours.

    ~Ein

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  4. We need 2 help put a end to this bullying let's help this dad stand up for his precious daughter.

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  5. As Aztook said, don't give up and keep moving forward!

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  6. http://thebullyproject.com/

    It's moments like this where bullying is too far. I'm a college student studying to be a teacher, and even though we receive classes on classroom management, we receive little on how to handle a bullying situation. We are told to just go to the administration. If the teacher sees it, it should be put down right there not a weeks worth of paper work process. Honestly a day may be the only time someone has to do something about these situations. Its time for people to get more aggressive. that is why I like this movie BULLY. I think if we just lightly touch on this subject we get more kids hating school and that is not ok. Bullying needs to be taken more seriously than it is.

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  7. How many years will it take to force teachers and administrators to pay attention to what is happening in their hallways and classrooms? I don't think they are blind. I think they don't really care. And that saddens me.

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  8. perseverance: steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness. believe in yourself and you will become 100% bulletproof. Never give up----and never-ever-give in. I promise you will not regret it! You are loved and never alone!

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