Dear Bully
By: Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
Their stories
In the novel Dear Bully by: Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones, seventy different authors share their experiences with bullying when they were kids and teens. For example, some authors were the victim in the bullying and were hurt by other kids emotionally and physically. But not all the authors were the victims. For example, there were a couple authors who were actually the bully. They were the person who was ridiculing the other kids and making them feel less then they really were. In their short story, the author who played the bully, apologized in it. For instance, if the author was the bully in the story then they would tell the reader what they did wrong to the other kids. Then at the end, they would explain how sorry they are and how they wish they could take back everything they did and said. This novel really gave me a chance to look at other peoples perspectives about their experiences with bullying, weather they were the bully or the victim.
Are you bullying?
This novel has taught me many lessons and how other people feel when their being bullied. It's also taught me that there's more then one way to bully someone. When other people think of bullying they think of calling someone names or hurting them physically. However, it's so much more then that. Have you ever talked behind someone's back in a crude way? Or have you ever spread a rumor? Or even criticized someone about how they look? That's considered bullying. You may think, talking behind someone's back? They don't even know I'm doing that. But when you do talk behind someone's back your spreading the rude information to others who spread it to more and more people and then those people who hear that information about that someone think that that person isn't a nice person anymore and will start to think differently about them just because they heard that one person talking behind their back. Criticism is also a big part in bullying. Kids and teens often criticize others on what they look like. Like their clothes and basically their overall appearance. Teens often see something on another person that looks different or unusual in some way and tease and taunt that person for it. On the other hand criticism can be a good thing. Some ask for constructive criticism about something their wearing or just something they want your opinion on. That's a whole different story, their asking for you to criticize and pick out what they could do better on or give suggestions. But criticizing someone's looks and race isn't okay. Especially when that person is being ignored by other people because of what they look like and what they've heard about you. Some kids would even stop hanging out with that person because their being bullied so much and they don't want to be a target in the crime. What people don't understand is that they need to stop judging others by the opinion of another.
This chart shows the type of bullying that happens the most in schools. Notice how name calling and insults is the top most type of bullying that kids get upset and hurt about.
You may think words are just phrases and sounds that come out of someone's mouth, but they can make a big difference if you really listen to them.
Bullying flyer made by: Michelle Joanis period:3/4