Absolute Guide to Bullying

Part I - About Me

There are hardly any people in this world that can say "I've never been bullied". Unfortunately, I was a victim of bullying for quite a long period of time. More importantly; I bet most of you are wondering why I would start off telling you all about me. I feel, I can get my point across a lot clearer if I write about myself, and I will. Let's start off where it all began; back in Elementary school.

Now, I actually wasn't the brightest kid when it came to being social, but I was proficient in the core subjects that were (and still are) being taught in school for my grade level at the time. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age, and when I didn't take my medicine, I'd get very upset and very angry at the littlest thing. I was afraid of a lot of things, and I kept to myself even though I wanted to make friends. It's just that no one seemed interested in talking to me at the time, and not really a lot of people want to now.

I used to move a lot because my family had terrible money problems (still do slightly), so we moved quite a bit, and I ended up going to 4 different schools during my time in grade school. The first one is my favorite Elementary school. Where I began Kindergarten and stayed there throughout first and second grade. There was hardly any bullying back then, but it was minor. Mainly from the girls in my grade that taunted me because of my last name. At the time; I didn't quite fully understand what bullying was, so I shrugged it off since I was carefree then, and still am now.

However, during my third year in school. I had to move to a different city and ended up going to the school in the district. It's a great school actually (according to the state of Indiana), but the teachers there did nothing about bullying until recently (which is actually kind of sad because that school is now rated one of the worst schools I've ever been to).

I was one of the smartest kids in the class according to my teacher and other students, but there were two students who teased me, taunted me, and picked on me because I was smart, and the funny thing is; they were also pretty smart themselves and I will admit that. I didn't know why they were doing what they did, and I still don't (most likely from experiences at home and what not), but I was effected by it greatly.

I had asked my teacher what to do, and she told me to just ignore them. Of course, any teacher would say that as a first line of defense, but it didn't work and I had a feeling that it wouldn't work either. Actually, since I started ignoring them they started to get more violent with their bullying, and it got physical when we were at recess and they actually beat me up for trying to leave them alone.

Again, no teacher did anything, and I'm pretty sure a teacher did see what had happened. I remember everyone in my class had to take these fun little tests for multiplication and division back in third grade, and we went all the way up to multiplying 12. My bullies on the other hand, actually got a lot farther ahead than me, and kept taunting me saying that I would never get up there along with them.

I recall one event when I had finished the division portion (which came after the multiplication problems), and then I got congratulated by the teacher and I was one of five students who completed all of the math problems during the first semester of that year. Now, the event I recall; Right after I had gotten the division problems done, the two kids who bullied me stood up in front of the class and started making fun of me for weird habits I used to do.

I used to be slightly autistic back then; I still am, but I cope with it better. I used to twitch and fidget around with my fingers and blink when I talk. They were openly criticizing me based on those things, and it actually got me upset. I did nothing but slouch down in my seat and the teacher told them to sit down and behave. (And the ironic thing is, that's all she did)

Thankfully, my mom had moved back in with her boyfriend (and my stepdad now who's been a great figure of support for me (And I will get to that later)) during the end of the school year, so I was glad to leave, and what actually upset me the most, was that everyone in the class was happy I was leaving too.

Honestly, there are times when it hurts to think about all of this, and although it may not seem like a big problem when you read it, but it's just that I can't fully explain it all, because I don't know how to word it all properly. You're going to have to pardon my word placement and what not, since I don't feel like going back to edit anything. I will say that beforehand. This is just a one style, no edit guide. I feel as if it'd be perfect if people read it for who I am and not as a writer that I should be.

Now, back to the story of my life. I had moved closer to my old school's district (The one I went to for Kindergarten - second grade). However, I wasn't close enough. I thought with a new school, means no bullies since no one knows me there. Sadly, I was wrong. Things actually got a lot worse. Within my first week there, someone had already started to pick on me during recess, and he ended up trying to fight me. I was taunted, pushed to the ground, and I attempted to retaliate. I actually gave up and went somewhere else and sat alone for the entire duration of that recess.

It was then that I realized that a teacher had come to me to see if I was okay and she ended up calling the Principal on me. The Principal came out and lead me into the school and was actually being very nice towards me and had asked me what happened. She knew I was ADHD and got angry easily when I didn't take my medication. So, during that time; I went to go to take my medication after I told her what happened, and she told me to tell her if it happens again.

The bad thing about that school I went to for fourth and part of the fifth grade, is that as nice as the staff and faculty are, the students were the ones who were the most mean. Around my second week in that school, this one guy started watching me and finding ways to attack me emotionally, socially, and sometimes physically. He started to mock my twitching and the blinking I do when I talk and whenever he tried to talk to me he'd taunt me and try to get me upset.

During that year, the students had a chance to learn how to play the recorders for a recital we were going to do for a big event of sorts that I never quite understood. We were sitting in music class learning the song Hot Cross Buns, and during that time; the bully who was taunting me had stood up and started mocking me in front of the entire class. At that time; I had enough, so I threw my recorder across the floor, stormed out the classroom, and ran down a hallway into the nearest boy's bathroom I could find.

I was extremely emotional back then, and I didn't quite grasp anything conceptual when it came to being social, and since my social part of school was being ruined; I decided I'd be best off alone with no friends and no one around. I always kept to myself and didn't tell anyone anything even after I was told to. I didn't care what would happen to me anymore, because I felt that I couldn't do anything about it, because.. I was afraid to fall down once I got up again.

The bullying remained constant all throughout fourth and the part of fifth grade. I actually, did nothing about it at all for those two years, and they were honestly; the worst two years of school of my life. My mom had moved away from my stepdad again after they had fought again, so I was relocated back to my old school that I liked for the rest of my fifth grade year.

Now, during the rest of that time; I was an honor student and everyone there respected me because I had known them for a longer period of time. No one had taunted me, or made fun of me. Which, was actually a good thing. I decided to write a report about bullying and why it should be prevented. Since, I was tired of it for a long time. (I don't quite remember what I wrote, but I will write it in a later part of the guide)

The report wasn't for any school project, but I decided I'd stand up again and try and make a place for myself, so I asked the Principal if I could read it in front of everyone for a gathering, and reluctantly, he agreed after he had read what I wrote. I took the stand up in the gymnasium, and I told everyone how I felt about bullying and a little bit about my bullying experiences. I wrote.. At least half an hour worth of content that took up quite a few pages of notebook paper. I got plenty of applause for it.

The most important thing I obtained from that experience, was the ability to stand up again and again over and over until I get it right. That time was when I decided that I would take a stand for myself whenever it's needed and I won't back down from anything no matter how hard or what the outcome may be in the end.

Now, the only reason I shared what I did about my grade school experience was so everyone who's currently reading this guide would be able to vividly place themselves into my shoes and my life and try and see things from my point of view a lot easier. If you would all like to know more about my school life, then please; just PM me on Wattpad and I will gladly share more about myself to all of you.