Alyssa is a dear friend of mine, who has always been there even when she was annoying. Even though she smiled through her pain, she was bullied and abused as a child. Who knew the happiest of people now would have such a tragic past? Today I have interviewed Alyssa and asked her about the bullying and how she stopped it.
Interview time:
Q: When were you bullied?
A: " I was bullied through 1st-3rd and 6th-8th."
Q: Do you know why you were bullied?
A: " I actually don't know why I was bullied, I guess it was because they hated me, but I don't understand why they would hate me, I was actually really nice to people. Even after they bullied me I was nice to them."
Q: How did the bullying stop?
A: " I kind of just ignored the bullies and tried to be nice to them."
Q: Did the bullying ever go away?
A: " The bullying never really went away, I was just the bigger person and knew they bullied me because maybe they were hurt or emotionally damaged in a way. The only real way I got away from the bullies is because I moved to a different school/area."
Q: When was the first time you got bullied other than when you were abused?
A: " I was in first grade and this girl really hated me for some reason, and she would always get me in trouble some how, for thing I didn't even do or know about."
Q: What would the bully in 6th-8th grade do?
A: " She would take the side of my abusive father to whom I no longer see. One day I wrote her a letter saying that I don't think we would be able to be friends anymore do to her constant yelling and harsh words. She wrote back saying that she never really liked me in the first place and that she really didn't care if we were friends or not, and everything was a lie. She said that the only reason that she hung out with me is because of my friends. She also said that I was worthless and would never have any real friends. Later on, she came up to me and my work partner and said"No wonder you're confused, you have Alyssa as a partner." I could go on and on, but I am afraid I'll run out of paper to write on."
Q: What about the bully in 2nd-3rd grade? What would they do?
A: "Well, some of them would call me names. They would make fun of me and spread rumors about me. I can't remember exactly what the rumor was specificly, but I remember it being harsh. In third grade, a new girl moved to our school. One of my closest friends and I immediately went over there and tried to become friends with her. At first, she was kind and sweet. Then, all of a sudden, she started turning my friends against me. She would ditch me, and even have my friends ditch me. I would sit alone in the corner and cry during recess. I had nothing else to do. No friends to play with, nobody to talk to, only myself. She made me feel miserable."
Q: How did you feel when you were being bullied?
A: "I felt miserable, all alone, like I don't belong. These people made me feel this way. There's even one person in specific who bullies me even today. Eventually I quit talking to her, or at least tried to the best I could. She still makes me feel horrible, but I have friends that would listen and take the time to make me feel better. Considering my past with my father, and how he would abuse me both mentally and physically, I really don't like being insulted, yelled at, called names, tossed around, etc."
Q: What do you think about bullying?
A: "I think that no one deserves to be treated in such a horrible way. You never know what other people have been through. Even the slightest things can have an impact on someone's life."
Q: Do you have any advice?
A: "Don't let anyone bring you down. Everyone deserves a chance at happiness. Don't let people harm you just because they have been harmed themselves. Make sure you try your best to make the people around you happy. Be kind to everyone and everything, and I guarantee that you will feel happiness I return."
Q:Would you like to say anything before you go?
A: "No matter what happens, you will have a special place in someones heart, forever and always."
