CUI By Katie

In junior high some girls threatened me on MSN and called me horrible names. I was really uncomfortable going to school and skipped just so I wouldn't have to be there. Mostly because I would cry a lot and didn't want to end up crying in my class or during break.

At first I did not do anything about it. I didn't know what to do, so I just blocked them from my MSN and that was it. But then things got worse. They kept switching i.d’s on MSN and sending me more messages and they were getting nastier with what they said.

At one point almost everyone in my school hated me because the girls were spreading rumours about me too. It made me feel helpless, alone, and worthless, that people I thought I could trust completely could turn against me so quickly.

For a long time I never told anyone. That was probably the biggest mistake I made. If I told someone, they could have stopped it or made me feel better about it. But I was scared they would laugh at me for being scared.

But when I finally told my mom, she talked to the school, the other parents, and the girls. It took a long time but the whole thing got fixed and they’ve stopped bullying me.

Against The Wall by Chris

A couple of months ago, I was at my friend’s house, hanging out with a big bunch of us. It really surprised me when two kids who my friends and me don’t like, showed up. Both of these kids have hated me since grade 5. They were acting all tough and saying mean things and just being rude. Anyway, they left after a while and the night went on. The next morning I went on my Facebook and found this message:

hey **** bag watch ur back back. ur in **** trouble! now ur gonna be **** out ur teeth for a week **** me **** are looking for u now.

I felt pretty scared. I should probably mention that the kid that wrote this and his friend have wanted to beat me up before too.

All that week they kept posting nasty messages on my Facebook.

Anyway, I know this sounds stupid, but I kind of felt embarrassed that this was actually happening. I didn't feel like telling my friends or anyone about it because it was online and I wasn’t sure if it was really bullying or if they were just being dumb, but I was getting a bit freaked out.

I finally talked to my guidance counsellor at school, because I figured they would just keep getting more mad and would come looking for me.

My counsellor said because they had posted to Facebook, there was a record of what they had said and the school could do something about it. The school called my parents and the other kids parents and we had a big meeting to talk about things.

Me and those other kids still don’t like each other (at all!) but they aren’t posting nasty letters and stuff anymore and they leave me alone.

I guess it was a good thing I talked to someone about being bullied, even though I felt weird about it. I learned it’s still the same thing (and wrong!) whether it’s in person or over the phone or on Facebook.

Cyber-bullied – I Made a Difference

I think that cyber-bullying happens so often because on the computer, you don't have to face anybody. You can say things that you normally wouldn't have the courage to say to someone's face. It can help you stand up to someone that you're afraid of, but it can also cause problems. Without seeing their face or hearing their voice, it’s hard to tell if someone is telling the truth, kidding or lying.

The people bullying me online were using technology to make the pictures/rumours spread faster and farther. It's a horrible feeling knowing somebody doesn't like you enough that they'd make stuff up about you to send to the entire world.

I knew that I needed to do something to stop this but I wasn’t sure what. I learned how to block those people from talking to me online and how to report to a site administrator if there was one. I talked to my teacher at school too about it.

I also thought if it was happening to me, it was probably happening to other kids, so I started a program at my school that educates kids about cyber-bullying. Kids learn about the consequences of bullying and gives them better ways to say what they are feeling. Bullies can talk with people who can help them can find better ways of dealing with stuff, because they are usually angry about a lot of things.

I think that kids need to peel away from the computer and get involved in other activities. Just turn off your computer. Call some friends and go out, and talk in person! Don’t be afraid to speak up – you can make a difference!