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Real-Life Stories
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everyone at his school took part in the bullying, but they didn’t speak out against it either. They
just stood by silently and watched.
Just talking to the bullies wasn’t working, and no one was stepping in to help. Fortunately for
this student, things eventually got better.
“It took them over a year, but they finally stopped when an SOS student offering support jumped
in.” The SOS program was an organization at his school. SOS stood for Students Offering Support.
A guidance counselor was in charge, and students helped out. SOS students fought bullying, de-
pression, stress, and other problems.
When this young man needed help, he turned to SOS. He says, “My school therapist/counselor,
who’s in charge of SOS, arranged
mediation
with herself, a few student conf lict mediators, the
students, one at a time, and me to discuss the racial comments. I knew that the only way out with-
out transferring schools and having the bullying continue was to tell an adult on campus,” he says.
“I remember one of them saying, ‘I wanted him to explode in anger. I wanted him to start
screaming and have a meltdown.’ I can’t tell you how angry I was to hear that from someone who
I thought was my friend. When I heard that, I felt like my life ended, because I felt like all of my
friends were trying to do the same. I felt abused. I felt tortured. I felt that I was used for their enter-
tainment. Some of them felt and still feel that I ‘snitched,’ ‘ratted,’ or ‘tattled’ on them, but I know
that I do not deserve to be bullied.”
He realized the people he thought were his friends were really just bullies. He deserved
better—real—friends.
Even though being bullied was hard, he’s trying to put it past him. He got help, and the bully-
ing stopped. Now, by sharing his story, he feels better. He hopes his story will encourage others
who are being bullied. “As long as I can help one person, I feel that I am making a difference … the
feeling of talking to peers, sharing my story, and having the opportunity to help someone in need
is exceedingly good.”
The bullied young person in our story knows a lot about bullying from experience. He knows
bullying happens in the classroom and on the phone. It happens in notes and text messages. It can
happen on Facebook. It’s hard to stop bullying, because bullies often bully where people can’t see
or hear them.
Bullying is a common problem for young people. Scientists have found out that about one in
Bullying and Adults
A lot of the time, people talk about bullying and young people. Lots of kids and teens are bullied
in and out of school. But adults get bullied, too, and they can bully other people. At work, bosses
might bully their employees (or the other way around). Coworkers bully each other. An adult at
work might get criticized for how he dresses every day. Or she might be left out of meetings on
purpose, even though she needs to go. Just like with young people, adult bullying is not OK.