From the Mentors

Bullies:  From the Mentors

When I was in elementary school, I was constantly tormented by a bully. Even now, I still find that at times I'm teased and mocked, for reasons that I can't understand. When I look back on it all, it begins to make sense to me. I was a quiet child who was not too social, and younger children don't like things that are "different." Since that was what I was, they ignored me instead of trying to get to know me. As a result of this, I grew to dislike them as they grew to dislike me. Although I was never mean to them, I did have my part in not entirely giving them a chance. As I grew older, I found my first few friends and tried to open up to people. People fear what is different, people fear what is better, people dislike what they can't have, and hate those who have it. Bullies are just expressing basic human qualities, and even though it's painful, just try to find people who appreciate you and who you can be comfortable with, and remember that bullies will eventually go, whether you graduate schools or they lose interest, etc. Friendships last a good deal longer, so spend your time seeking the company of people you like and ignoring the ones who bully you.

From Danielle
Bullies are usually people who are just as uncomfortable as you are. Usually it's hard for them to make friends and the only way to get to know other people is by bullying them. Don't worry if you are being bullied, there are a lot of things you can do. You can talk to your parents and tell them what is going on. You could also go and talk to your teacher; your teacher is there to help you with your problems. You could also try to talk to the kid, maybe the bully didn't even realize that he (or she) was hurting you.

From Paulina
Bullies just don't have anything better to do than to ruin our day. I just ignore them, and eventually they get tired of it.