Bullying

As a child I experienced bullying as a victim, bully, and witness. I was part of a trio of girlfriends that often excluded one another and other girls. Along with excluding, my "friends" gossiped and hurt the girls on the outside of our group. In hindsight, when I chose to participate in this behavior, I assume it was due to fear of my own exclusion from the group, which occurred from time to time. This experience has helped me spot this scenario in the classroom and empower bystanders and group members to challenge the bully. It has also helped me be proactive and speak to girls about insecurities and maintaining positive, healthy friendships. At our school, I support the discipline policy which strictly enforces no gossiping or insulting, because I know that bullying starts with those smaller acts. I “survived” the situation by eventually moving out of those friendships, but now I feel like I can support and prevent girls from entering into those relationships.