Spirit Day and bullying.

[cupcake_goth]

Today is Spirit Day. I honestly don't know if I have anything purple to wear, but I'm going to try, because I do support this and want to increase the visibility of it. (EDIT: Just as I suspected, I don't own any purple clothing. Huh.)

About bullying, everyone go read Cleolinda's post on this.(clicky-link!) What she says is SPOT ON, and I think everyone should follow it.

If someone is being bullied and I'm around, I will do what I can to help stop it.

Personal experience time: I was one of the incredibly lucky ones. Even though I was a Weird Kid, I wasn't really ever bullied. Part of this, I know, is because word went out pretty quickly that "Holy crap, Jilli's dad is CRAZY, don't piss him off". (Hi Dad! I love you and you're the best dad in the world!) But I know that wasn't the entire reason. I don't know WHY I wasn't bullied, but I thank my lucky stars that I wasn't.

But I've seen the effects of bullying. It's horrible and demoralizing, and I just don't understand how anyone can think that treating another person like that is okay. So. I will speak up and step in if I see bullying. I hope that you folks will do the same.

Comments

[goldie-gargoyle.livejournal.com]

I was verbally bullied in my first year of high school, when I was about 13. I know I was picked on because I liked reading actual novels instead of fashion magazines, didn't talk about boys all the time nor showed any interest at that stage, didn't like Britney Spears, and generally wasn't the most conventional malleable little teen girl out there. That, and I found out later that they were also jealous of me because I had bigger boobs than them. Jeez! I think that's so silly. Boobs can be a real nuisance.

But anyway, the experience destroyed any self-esteem I had for many years afterwards, and I spent the next 4 years severely depressed. Luckily in my last two years of school, I found a group of friends who actually appreciated me as I was, didn't judge me or think I was weird.

Because of what happened to me, I now make sure to speak my mind and step in when I see people being nasty to each other.

My best advice to anyone out there who is being verbally/psychologically bullied: don't take their bait. They want you to respond, because that's how they try to make themselves feel better than others. Instead, ignore their taunts, and just go on as normal. If they speak to you, be civil to them, but curt and to the point. If they see that they can't effect you, they will eventually stop.