Yeah, I know, it’s been way too long. I hope everyone has been well. I know some of you are getting ready to graduate from high school and I whole-heartedly congratulate you all! This week’s video comes to us from our friend Alan Eisenberg. This amazing short story shares the trajedy that is the suffering of bullying and the consequences it can have. Made in Australia, it is an amazing piece of film.
Warning: This video is very emotional and tough to watch.
Every Bully Out There Needs To See This
So That Maybe, Just Maybe,
It Will Make Them Think Twice Before They Bully Again.
This is the month of the teal colored ribbon. It’s known as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (“SAAM”). I consider this to be one of the most important posts I have ever written. The video I share with you today, Alyssa Lies, is based on a true story. I use it anytime I speak to groups, whether they be children or adults. I urge all of you to read this post and listen carefully to the words of Jason Michael Carroll. (Click on the link to learn more about Jason.)
Always remember this simple message as we send out our prayers and love to those who were victimized by the tragedy in Boston this week:
If you see something, say something.
The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. The 2013 campaign focuses on healthy sexuality and child sexual abuse prevention. Yes, healthy sexuality is key to preventing the thousands of sexual assaults reported annually, but, since Make It Better Right Now is a teen-centric site, I have decided to focus on the many staggering statistics surrounding teen sexual assault (for purposes of this discussion I include ALL forms of sexual assault from fondling inappropriately, to abuse, to assault, to rape.) If these stats don’t scare the hell out of anyone, I’m not sure what will!
First, did you know that every 2 minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted? Sexual assault, by the way, does not just happen between adults and their victims, it also occurs between teenagers (date rape is just one example.) Doing the math there are about 207,754 sexual assaults per year in the United States alone. 44% of victims are under 18-years old. Breaking the numbers down one more time – somewhere in the neighborhood of 91,500 kids are sexually assaulted – RAPED – every single year – that’s 250 kids a day! If that isn’t staggering enough for you think about this: less than half of all sexual assaults are ever reported.
Why not??? Because, as one who has been there, I can tell you that the shame and stigma attached to being raped is nearly impossible to handle – especially when you’re just a kid. Not to mention that you fear for your life. The perpetrator almost always threatens your life if you tell. My abuser threatened me with a sword. I was 10. Did I believe him? Absolutely! 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker (I did). 34% of attackers are family members; 59% are friends or acquaintances. If you trust someone you are less likely to tell on them.
Now that I know better, here is my advice to you:
NO MATTER WHAT – YOU MUST REPORT IT!
IMMEDIATELY!
And, no, it won’t be easy. I hate to tell you this, but no matter how minor you might believe the assault to be, it will change your life forever! Do you need some more statistics? Here we go:
1. You are now 3 times more likely to suffer from depression;
2. You are 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
3. You are 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol;
4. You are 26 times more likely to abuse drugs;
5. You are 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.
Now, for some sobering stats. What happens to the person who assaulted you? Who abused you? Who raped you? We have stats for that as well. Out of every 100 sexual assaults:
46 get reported to police;
12 lead to an arrest;
9 get prosecuted;
5 lead to a felony conviction;
3 rapists will not even spend a single day in prison;
The other 97 will walk free.
If a rapist does manage to serve time, 46% of them who were released from prison were re-arrested within 3 years of their release for another crime.
Now multiply those numbers by the number of assaults reported each year.
Scary, isn’t it?
I hope these stats are enough to make you want to at least start a conversation. Hey, do you know someone whom you think is being abused right now? Keep in mind, they are likely too embarrassed and too scared to tell anyone – including you, their best friend. They are probably fearing for their life. But, trust me, they need you right now. I have confidence in you guys! Saving a life starts with you!
Are you, yourself, a victim of sexual abuse? Please, please, please reach out to us – we here at MIBRN are here for you!
Do you want to do something to make a contribution during this month of Sexual Assault Awareness and beyond, but don’t know what to do? It’s simple:
Start a conversation.
Use the statistics in this article to get you started. Awareness comes from conversation – from healthy dialogue. Alyssa Lies and all Jason Michael Carroll’s music is available on iTunes. Every time this song plays on my iPod it reminds me that I must not stop fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. I hope this spurs you on to do the same.
Hello everyone. This week’s post will be short. I am adding a young lady to our Honor Roll of Bullycide Victims. Her name is Fleur Bloemen. She is from the Netherlands, where Sander is from. He brought my attention to her story a couple of months ago. I urge you to check out her story and, if you haven’t yet had a chance, check out Sander’s story in the post right below this one.
Fleur Bloemen was a poet, thus the significance of this week’s video. I hope you enjoy it.
How quickly is this year going by my friends?! It’s April already. This is the month of the teal colored ribbon. It’s known as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (“SAAM”). I’ve written a very important blog post about it. Here’s the link: April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I urge you all to click on it and read it. I’m sure I will have much more to say about it as the month progresses.
Often times comments made in MIBRN get buried. We received a comment on Tyler Lee Long’s Story and I thought that it was important that I shared it with you here on the front page:
I’m watching the movie bully right now. I’m a 33 year old male who has tears in his eyes.This is so sad. Tyler hung himself on my 30th birthday. This isn’t right. How can I help? B
Here is my response to B:
Hi B, Yes, all of these bullycides are so sad, and there are so many more of these tragic stories that I will be sharing in the coming months. I have watched “Bully” 3 times now and I always come away with something new…and yes, and always with a tear in my eye. I’m so glad you asked how you can help. I believe that one of the best things we can do is to get into the conversation, talk to one another, support each other, let those who are struggling with this issue know that they are not alone. That’s why I created this website. If we all just calmly and respectfully talk to each other I believe we can begin to break the cycle of violence that exists in our society today. Growing-up is hard enough without the extra added burden of being bullied. B, I invite you to register here on MIBRN and join the conversation. No doubt you have wisdom to impart on the teens that come here for advice and support.
Thank you for your comment. I’m sorry your birthday will be forever linked to Tyler’s death. Know that there are people in this world who are doing their best to make a difference. I look forward to your participation. Kevin
It’s time for us as a community to focus on something, or should I say, someone, much more positive. It’s time to meet another MIBRN member. Please allow me to introduce to you Sander (his username is Sander1998.)
Sander is one of the original members of MIBRN. He’s 15-years old and he lives in the Netherlands. Yup, the Netherlands. Sander was our very first member from outside of the United States, thus making MIBRN a truly global social media website. He tells me he stumbled upon MIBRN when he was doing some research on bullycide. No, not because he had bullycide in mind for himself, but to make a difference in this world and to help others. Sander didn’t say, “If I could save one life, I will have accomplished a good thing.” No, instead he thought to himself,
“I can’t sit back and hear about one more kid taking his or her life because he or she was bullied. I need to figure out some way that I can help as many kids as possible who are struggling to beat the bullies and get on with their lives.”
The particular bullycide that sent Sander to do some internet research was Phillip Parker. (Follow the link to read Phillip’s story.) After reading Phillip’s story, Sander knew that he had found the place where he could do the most good, and I assure you…he has helped lots of teens since he registered, despite his own bullying issues he has to put up with in school. Yeah, sadly, Sander has been bullied. He knows what it’s like, and he wants to help you.
So who is Sander? I’m so glad you asked! First and foremost, he is a lover of music of all kinds. His favorites include Greyson Chance and Miranda Cosgrove. The video featured in this blog post is one of Sander’s absolute favorites. As a matter-of-fact you can follow him on Spotify. Here’s the link: https://play.spotify.com/user/sandervanhuizen. In his picture you will notice that he has a microphone in his hand. On Friday’s, after school, Sander is a DJ for a local radio station in his town. It’s called Dollard Radio. Hey, you can listen to Sander live, every Friday at 12:00 pm eastern time. Here’s the link: http://www.dollardradio.nl/liveradio/. I really hope you guys enjoy it! I had the opportunity to listen to this week’s live broadcast and I promise you, that even though you may not speak dutch, you will still enjoy the show. Sander is so comfortable behind that microphone. He is so knowledgable about the world of music and his interview skills are second to none. I’m sure you will enjoy the music that Sander and his co-hosts pick to play. You will quickly note the influence that American music plays around the world. I’m going to post it as a widget so that you guys can listen to Sander live every Friday. Something else really cool about Sander is that with the help of Dollard Radio he has raised thousands of dollars for kids in need…kids in need of everything, from food to medicine. The name of the charity is Dollard 4 Babies. I can’t tell you how proud I am of him. Great job, Sander!
If there’s anything else you want to know about Sander, his username is Sander1998. Send him a message and say hi!
Hi everyone. So what do you think of the facelift I gave the site this week? Do you like it? Hate it? Do you guys have any other suggestions? Among the changes, besides the look, you will note that the Honor Roll of Heroes of Bullycidehas been moved to the left side. I did this to make way for the new feature I call Honor Roll of Heroes Who Were Bullied to Death.Here we will forever memorialize kids of all ages who have been so brutally attacked and physically assaulted by their bullies that they died as a result of their injuries. This is a long time coming, inspired by Bailly O’Neil’s brutal death at the hands of his bullies. You will note that I have moved Matthew Shepard into his rightful place as a person who was bullied to death. You will also see that I changed the titles of these honor rolls. I replaced the word Victim with the word Hero.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE HEROES AFTER ALL!
This week’s videos are powerful audio recordings. On the Matter of Bullying (Part One) and On the Matter of Bullying (Part Two)are being brought to us by Edric Haleen who wrote these songs for Spintunes, a songwriting competition where contestants were asked to “Write a protest song in which you try to convince your listeners about something you strongly believe. Eric tackled the subject of bullying, bravely and unapologetically. As you listen, click-through each link to read the lyrics. As Eric tells us at the end,
This message needs to be heard, and shared, often. It may just save a life.
Sadly, we are adding another hero to our Honor Roll of Heroes Who Were Bullied toDeath. This young hero was only 7-years old! It is so unbelievable to me, and so heart-breaking that I must report this to you.
On March 9, 2013 in the state of Jalisco, Mexico 7-year old Jonathan Avalos Ortiz died, due to an injury that was caused to him by a 13-year old boy, who assaulted him and dipped his head into a toilet at the government-run school he attended in order for him to give up his money. This incident took place in February. Jonathan told his grandmother immediately after it happened. His grandmother then rushed him to the emergency room at the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), where one of their doctors diagnosed the young boy with a stomach infection. However, the young 7-year old victim’s parents decided to take him again to the IMSS on Wednesday, February 20, when Jonathan’s condition continued to worsen. After further examination and x-rays it was determined that Jonathan had an infection in his lungs as a result of fecal matter ingested during the bullying attack. As Jonathan was being transfer to the IMSS Medical Center in Guadalajara, he suffered three cardiac arrests along the way. He, sadly, did not make it to the hospital and died on the morning of March 9.
Jonathan’s parents have filed a complaint against all of those who are responsible for his death, including school authorities and the doctor who misdiagnosed their son. Mexican authorities say they are investigating the incident.
Because this happened in Mexico and Jonathan is so young, there is very little information available at this time. Jonathan’s parents both work on a pig farm and together earn just over one hundred dollars a week. Jalisco is in Western Mexico. It’s capital city is Guadalajara.
Tonight it is with a very heavy heart, and a great deal of sadness that I must report to you that Bailly O’Neil has died. Bailly turned 12 on Saturday, and was taken off life support on Sunday. For those of you unfamiliar with his story here it is again:
On January 10th, 11-year old, Bailly O’Neil, a sixth-grader at Darby Township School in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (coincidentally, the very school my father graduated from some 70 years ago) was savagely beaten. Of course (note the sarcasm in my voice) there is very little known about the bullying that led to this incident. Apparently Bailly had been bullied by at least two of his classmates on an ongoing and frequent basis. Things escalated to an all out brawl one afternoon in early January in the schoolyard with several students reportedly involved. Bailly was repeatedly punched in the face by one classmate. For a brief time he was unconscious, but later managed to somehow make his way home only to be rushed to the emergency room to be treated for a broken nose and a concussion. Although doctors initially released him from their care, over the next 2 weeks Bailly became erratic. He suddenly began having seizures and was rushed back to A.I. Dupont Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, where doctors were forced to put him into a medically induced coma. On Sunday, March 3rd, one day after his 12th birthday, Bailly was taken off life support and died.
Tonight I weep for young Bailly O’Neil and his family, but I am also outraged. As I previously reported, the boy who punched Bailly in the face over and over and over again was suspended for 2 whole days. It wasn’t until Bailly was put into the medically induced coma that the Southeast Delco School District and the local police got involved.
What took so long? How many kids have to die before we do anything to make our schools safe places for our children. Unbelievable, at least to my way of thinking, is this line from one local news report:
Police are investigating and working with school officials to determine if bullying is a problem at the school. However, at this time, there has been nothing criminal found.
Emily Harris, a spokeswoman for the Delaware County DA’s office, said:
There is no confirmation that this altercation was a result of bullying. Although there have been reports that O’Neil suffered a concussion, that has not been confirmed, because no medical records have been received at this point.
Are you kidding me!!! Punching a classmate and ultimately causing his death isn’t criminal? Let me raise the question that you are all thinking about, but afraid to voice: Do Bailly’s bullies deserve to be criminally punished for murdering him? I think they do…no matter how young they are!
Hi gang…and welcome to our new members. I hope that you find your time here at MIBRN a very happy and fulfilling experience. If you ever have any questions or anything you would like to talk about please send me a message. I here for everybody, and I’m just a click away.
I found this incredible video that I promise you won’t soon forget. It’s called “To This Day.” The spoken-word artist Shane Koyczan worked with dozens of animators, who each illustrated roughly 20-second segments of his poem about the bullying he and others experienced growing up. It’s a beautiful, very powerful film. If you do nothing else, find a few minutes (7 to be exact) and watch it. Here is what Shane Koyczan is all about in his own words. Check out his website when you get a chance:
This animated piece is the result of a group of individuals coming together and binding their talents in an expression of solidarity and compassion. I am humbled by the extraordinary efforts of those who selflessly gave their time and committed themselves to bring out this message in such a beautiful way.
My experiences with violence in schools still echo throughout my life but standing to face the problem has helped me in immeasurable ways.
I wrote “To This Day”, a spoken word poem, to further explore the profound and lasting impact that bullying can have on an individual.
Schools and families are in desperate need of proper tools to confront this problem. We can give them a starting point… A message that will have a far reaching and long lasting effect in confronting bullying.
Hello everyone. On Saturday I sat down for a conversation with Jasmyn Belcher, producer of Story Corps. (in partnership with NPR Radio.) For those of you not familiar with StoryCorps, it is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 45,000 interviews with nearly 90,000 participants. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to their weekly broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition and on their Listen pages.
StoryCorps does this to remind one another of our shared humanity, strengthen and build the connections between people, teach the value of listening, and weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that every life matters. At the same time, StoryCorps will create an invaluable archive of American voices and wisdom for future generations.
STORYCORPS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
StoryCorps is built on an uncompromising commitment to excellence across all aspects of the project, from collecting, sharing, and preserving people’s stories; to organizational management; to maintaining an extraordinary work environment where respect and dignity are paramount.
The interview session is at the heart of StoryCorps. We treat participants with the utmost respect, care, and dignity.
StoryCorps has a relentless focus on serving a wide diversity of participants.
StoryCorps is a public service.
Jasmyn told me after our interview that only 1% of those who take part in StoryCorps will make it to air on NPR. I believe that we have a really strong shot at being in the 1%. Keep your fingers and toes crossed. I’ll keep you posted!
AN UPDATE ON BAILLY O’NEIL
There is nothing new to report on Bailly’s condition this week. He is still, by all reports, in a medically induced coma. I wanted to continue this week to focus on his story. I believe it is one that needs to be told and heard. I just hope that people are listening.
As last week, this week’s video is a song that Ashlee Gilot wrote for her cousin Tre. I thought it was very appropriate to Bailly’s story.
“Bullying needs to stop. It hurts all of us. I hope that this inspires us all to be kinder to each other.” – Ashlee Gilot
Special thanks for Jevaughn Martin and JVM Productions for helping Ashlee put this video together!
So everyone, I’ve been doing some soul-searching for something we as a community can support and get involved in. What I mean by that is when donations start to pour in…and I am very confident they will…we will need to make a stand. Here is my thought: MANNED SECURITY CAMERAS IN AND AROUND SCHOOLS. Hear me out. All the communicating in the world will never end bullying. Cameras, on the other hand, are a huge deterrent from violence occurring. Wouldn’t it be way cool if we, as a community, would be known for supplying schools that can’t afford it with cameras/security systems? I think you’ll understand where I’m coming from when you read this week’s post about Bailly O’Neil. I also look forward to your thoughts on things we as a community can do to help our fellow teens.
Now it’s time to get fired up!
On January 10th, 11-year old, Bailly O’Neil, a sixth-grader at Darby Township School in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (coincidentally, the very school my father graduated from some 70 years ago) was savagely beaten. Of course (note the sarcasm in my voice) there is very little known about the bullying that led to this incident. Apparently Bailly had been bullied by at least two of his classmates on an ongoing and frequent basis. Things escalated to an all out brawl one afternoon in early January in the schoolyard with several students reportedly involved. Bailly was repeatedly punched in the face by one classmate. For a brief time he was unconscious, but later managed to somehow make his way home only to be rushed to the emergency room to be treated for a broken nose and a concussion. Although doctors initially released him from their care, over the next 2 weeks Bailly became erratic. In his father’s words:
“He was sleeping. He was moody. He wasn’t himself. He was angry a little bit. He wasn’t really eating.”
He suddenly began having seizures and was rushed back to A.I. Dupont Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, where 2 weeks ago doctors were forced to put him into a medically induced coma – in which he remains in today.
Bailly’s parents are obviously devastated by what happened to their son. His father said:
“Every day I’m trying to stay strong for him. When you get into that hospital room and you’re looking at him, I would trade places in a heartbeat. It’s my buddy, you know. I want to hear his voice, his mother wants to hear his voice.”
You, like me, will be outraged to hear that the boy who repeated punched Bailly in the face over and over and over again was suspended for 2 whole days. It wasn’t until Bailly was put into the medically induced coma that the local police got involved. The Southeast Delco School District superintendent, Stephen Butz, issued a statement about the boy who physically assaulted Bailey:
“We have requested that the local police assist us in the investigation of this incident and are fully cooperating with their investigation of this incident. We take bullying very seriously. We are very concerned about the medical condition of this student. And our thoughts and prayers are with him. Due to the age of the students involved and the ongoing police investigation, I am unable to make any additional comments.
What took so long, Superintendent Butz? Does another kid have to die before we do anything to make our schools safe places for our children. Unbelievable, at least to my way of thinking, is this line from one local news report:
Police are investigating and working with school officials to determine if bullying is a problem at the school. However, at this time, there has been nothing criminal found.
Emily Harris, a spokeswoman for the Delaware County DA’s office, said:
“There is no confirmation that this altercation was a result of bullying. Although there have been reports that O’Neill suffered a concussion, that has not been confirmed, because no medical records have been received at this point.
Are you kidding me!!! Punching a classmate nearly to death isn’t criminal??? I’m in-scents! It’s my understanding that, for the most part, the kids aren’t talking about the incident. Here is a picture of the schoolyard in question:
Thus I come back to the question of cameras/security systems in and around our schools. Would they have helped in this situation? We’ll never know the answer to that, but there is no doubt in my mind that a good security system might have saved a life on this horrible day.
Hang in and get better, Bailly. We hope to see your smiling face soon!
I look forward, as always, to hearing your comments and thoughts.
Hello everyone. I know it’s been a couple of weeks, and I apologize. The flu will do that to you.
As most of you know, I usually don’t get political, however, today was a very proud day to be an American. We got to see democracy of the greatest country of the world in action. Barach Obama was re-inaugurated to a second term as President of the United States. The song I chose for this week is Kelly Clarkson’s version of My Country Tis of Thee which she performed at the Inaugural ceremonies this afternoon. When President Obama was sworn in he used one of the bibles once owned by President Abraham Lincoln.
Much has been written about Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America (1861 – 1865). He was one of the world’s great statesmen of all time. His accomplishments included ending slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation and the successful passing of the Thirteenth Amendment which freed slaves forever. He was best known for his stance against violence. But did you know about his commitment to education not only of the mind, but also of the soul. Below is a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to the head master of the school in which his son (Thomas “Tad” Lincoln – b. April 4, 1853 – d. July 16, 1871 – he died of heart failure at the tender age of 18), was studying, a letter so typical of the man who bore malice towards no one and had charity for all. I submit to you, ladies and gentlemen, that President Lincoln had it right even back in the early 1860′s:
He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero: that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader…
Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend. It will take time, I know a long time, but teach, if you can, that a dollar earned is of more value then five dollars found.
Teach him to learn to lose…And also to enjoy winning. Steer him away from envy, if you can, teach him the secret of quiet laughter.
Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books…
Teach him that it is far more honorable to fail him than to cheat…
Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone else tells him he is wrong…
Teach him to listen to all men…But teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him there is no shame in tears.
Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidder, but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.
Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will also have sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order, but see what can you do… He is such a fine little fellow, my son!
I have some really terrific news to report! Recently one of our members “Katieroo” told her story. For those of you who missed it, here is the link: Katie’s Story. Katie talked about her issue of cutting. Well….I am happy to report that she just told me that it has been 2 months since she last cut. This is such an amazing accomplishment. I can’t tell you how proud I am of her. I hope that you send her a message and encourage her to keep up the great work!
Some of you may have noticed we have a new member. Her username is Coby59. She is a student at university in Australia. She attends The University of Southern Queensland. She has a big project due on January 21st and we’re going to help her. She has to create a youtube video on the topic “Bullying- How does it affect children and adolescents?” Then she needs to show how she might teach the severity of bullying to children in grades 4-6 while referring to difference and dominance. You see, this very special young lady is going to be a teacher someday. How cool is that! She has chosen to remain anonymous. You will notice a beautiful dog in her profile pic. Remember what I once said:
On this site you can be anyone you want to be!
By the way, the youtube video above has been chosen by Cody59, she says that it gives her strength to keep going. Without further ado, let’s meet Cody59:
When I was young I moved around a lot, so by the time we settled down in Brisbane when I was 9 I was afraid to make friends just in case we left again. For the rest of primary school I was that girl who had two friends and wouldn’t talk to anybody else unless necessary. In the middle school years, I got braces and I hadn’t grown into my body yet, everybody teased me. Grade 8 and 9 is when my life changed for the worse, when a someone you though was your best friend sides with the people who are bullying you, it kind of makes you break into a thousand small pieces. So I lost my self confidence and returned to eating on my own getting shoved, once someone kicked a locker door at me and broke of the tip of my front tooth, I had a bruise down my face for a week. It was when I left that another student came to join me when I started to sit on my own again. she didn’t expect me to open up, because the same people put her through the same things as me, she introduced me to others that were getting the treatment they became my group of friends that help me through, yes I even considered bullycide. It was long after that when I started the cutting, though instead of using a knife I used my nails, my nails were long, I would shape one so that it was sharp enough to make a shallow cut on my wrist. They were small enough that I could write it off as a scratch from my cat. When my parents found out about some of the bullying they pulled me out of school and put me into a private school. Though it was better I still continued to cut myself and I ignored almost everybody except for a few people that I could see were genuinely nice to me. At the beginning of the next school year I lost one of my best friends to bullycide, that was when my life changed again, the pain that his death caused me made me never want to inflict that pain on somebody else so I started the process of trying not to cut myself, I left school and got full time work, free of the high school bullies I cut everyone but my closest friends out. The mysterious girl that came and helped me up is now my best friend, and even though she knows a lot about me (except for the cutting) I still don’t know much about her. When I was old enough I started uni and that is what helped me find MIBRN. I used to have no future plans other then how I was going to get through the next day.
Thank you for sharing Cody59…and best of luck in your future endeavours!
