Young Adult Authors Against Bullying

If you are on FB please come join this group! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105581906147904&ref=nf#!/group.php?gid=105581906147904&ref=share There are lots of links from authors and their experiences with bullying in their lives or the lives of those they love.

Too many children are bullied so horribly that they end up doing bad things to themselves. Even "nice" kids can be very harsh on their friends and don't understand the effects it can have.

When I was in Elementary school I was on the chubby side. I wasn't the biggest kid in school, but big enough that I could in no way be accepted by the "cool" crowd. Some days I would cry all the way home from school on the bus and walk all the way down my street being taunted by other children.

I was lucky that I had a strong family that loves me and helped me know that I was wanted, but it still affects my self esteem. The things that young children do often doesn't compute in their brains as being bad, but it can have horrible lasting effects.

Bullying isn't just something young children participate in.

In High School I was also bullied among a group of people that should have accepted me. I remember sitting alone on the bus coming home from a choir competition. Food being thrown at me from the back of the bus and a group of taunting girls. I chose to ignore them and not make a scene but I bawled the whole way home. Not one person thought to say "stop it" or "enough".

Again, I was lucky that when others who love me, including my director found out about it they stood up for me and helped me know I was wanted. (And the next year I was in a different choir and had no more problems from then on) But it still led to me harbouring bad feelings for fellow classmates.

We need to teach our children to be kind in ALL situations. Regardless of if we think someone is strange or different or what other people may think of them. Children feel awkward enough on their own, they don't need other people reminding them of the fact that they are different and don't belong.

This post isn't intended for sympathy. It is intended to show you what kids can do without their parents ever knowing, at any age.

Again, please check out the page and be part of this great group!