Real Teens Speak Out

I was a collector of things no one else wanted. My most prized possession was a slightly fuzzy baseball glove—a hand-me-down from my older brother, which I kept in my backpack at all times.
Then came Marcus. Marcus didn’t collect things; he collected fear. He had a cruel smile and shoulders that seemed to take up the whole hallway.
“What’s in the backpack today, Bobby?” he’d ask.
It started small. A shove against a locker. A spilled tray of tater tots. Then, the backpack itself became the target. The first time, Marcus grabbed it and tossed it onto the top of the chain-link fence, forcing me to climb for it while the other kids snickered and watched. My ceramic owl shattered that day.
The bullying became a ritual. Every day, I would walk to school with my backpack clutched tight, and every day, the fear would build until it was an unbearable knot in my chest. My grades slipped. I stopped talking at the dinner table. I felt like I was living in a perpetual state of waiting for the next blow. I felt completely alone.
One day, Marcus cornered me by the bike racks. “Show me what you’ve got in there today, Bobby.”
I held the backpack tighter. I could feel the leather of the baseball glove. I knew what Marcus would do to it. I shook his head.
“No,” I whispered.
“What was that? I didn’t hear you.” Marcus stepped closer.
“Leave me alone,” I said, his voice stronger this time.
Marcus laughed, a harsh, barking sound. He lunged and ripped the backpack off my shoulders. As he did, the zipper broke and the contents spilled onto the pavement. Out rolled the fuzzy, brown baseball glove, a small, worn token of a simpler time.
Marcus picked it up, tossing it from one hand to the other. “Look at this, guys! Bobby’s little baby blanket!”
“Hey, Marcus, give it back.”
It was Lily, a quiet girl from my science class.
Marcus froze, surprised by her intervention. “What’d you say?”
“I said, give it back,” Lily repeated, stepping forward.
Marcus sneered. “What are you gonna do about it?”
“I’m going to go get a teacher,” she said.
For a moment, Marcus stood there, glaring. He could have easily ignored her, shoved her aside. But something in her simple, unwavering stance, and the sudden shift in the other kids’ silence, stopped him. The silent crowd was no longer on his side. Their snickers had been replaced by a quiet, expectant stillness.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, Marcus tossed the glove back toward me. It landed with a soft thump in the dirt. He then dropped the broken backpack and walked away, his friends trailing behind him. The air seemed to exhale.
Lily helped me pick up the scattered books and broken zipper. Neither of them said anything, but as they stood there, a quiet understanding passed between them. The next day, Lily waited for me at the end of the hallway. We walked to the playground together. We didn’t play baseball, but we sat on the bench and talked, a shared space where the weight of my backpack felt a little lighter.
The bullying didn’t stop overnight, but it changed. Marcus still gave me dirty looks, but he didn’t touch my backpack again. And I found a new kind of strength, not in fighting back, but in knowing that I wasn’t alone. I still had his collection of misfit treasures, but now, I also had a friend, and a little bit of my old courage back.

I can’t take it anymore!

Hello, I’m here just to tell you about how bad I feel, I think I’m bullied but I’m not sure if it’s really this, I’m from Ukraine and going to simple public school (lyceum), I’m 13 and going to 8 grade, I’m very shy kid and have only one friend at school, and here two girls who trying to make me angry and make fun of this, they even making fun from my ignoring them, it’s making me feel angry and sad, it’s started at 7 grade one of this girl left school but situation still bad, i don’t think that i can tell about that to school principal because i think they will make fun of me more, but when I’m telling about that to my mom she telling me tell about it to school principal by myself, and i just feel helpless in this situation, i already even started thinking about self h#rm and only what stops me it’s my fear of pain but any day I can overcome this fear and do it, it’s really scares me but I feeling too bad to worry about it, I know it’s won’t help but I can’t do anything else maybe it’s will make my mom notice that I can’t deal with it by myself…on this it’s all

I was 12 back then and somehow I still remember it correctly. They came to me during the second half of the break, all with the intention to humiliate me. I struggled with confidence issue for a couple of year ever since then (I don’t even want to someone to take any picture of me). When my teacher ask my mom to come to school due to this, I got so embarrassed and I really hate the fact that the teacher only ask my mom, not their parents.

friends or devils

i am in class 8 and a lot of girls really dont like us, me and my friend. they call me a witch and say that i do black magic. i feel isolated . i endured this for 3 years since class 6 to 8 i started doing self harm. my family found out about it and they will ‘think’ of making me a day scholar as i live in a hostel i dont know what’s gonna happen so please tell someone who u trust.

Bullying

I was always a victim of bullying. Kids used to do mean things to me all the time. I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want to trouble them. One day in middle school, a group of seniors had plotted something against me. They pushed me and called me mean names and recorded a video of it on youtube, luckily I found it and reported it. I told my mom and she told the principal. Nobody messed with me anymore.

i love you all

hi i’ve never been openly bullied but i’ve read these stories for a couple hours and my heart breaks for everyone who has been through this

people have said it but just in case i love you ur amazing don’t worry stay safe call a trusted friend and keep going ur strong and beautiful and ur worth it xoxo

Don’t be a Bystander, be a Upstander

When I was little, my sister (she prefers to stay anonymous) would always play outside with her friends. Her friends were “popular”, and they would always hang out at the park with her under certain circumstances. For example, if she brought candy, or brought pencils that they could use. If she didn’t bring these things, she would get kicked out of the friend group for the day, or even hurt.
When my mom, or I asked her how she was feeling, she would always lie about it, and say that she had an amazing day. My mom started noticing that my sister would always take things. It started with little things like a pack of candies now and then, but then it grew, like my mom’s earrings, or her necklaces. My mom would question my sister about it, but my sister would shake it off, and say that she just wanted to wear it for the day, and our mom was too busy to hear her ask beforehand. Also, when my mom would ask her how her bruises showed up, and she said that she just walked into something, or it appeared without her noticing.
Finally one day after she came with a black eye, she told us that her friends were bullying her. She said she was too scared to tell us before, because the girls said that if she said anything they would hurt her more. My mom decided to let my sister move schools, and talked to the friend’s parents about the bullying.
In the end, she wanted to share the message that you should speak to a trusted adult if you are getting bullied, even if you have a potential threat, because the trusted adult will always figure a way out.

A Vote For Leadership

At my high school we had a election held every year for the student body, I was a Junior so I was finally allowed to run. There was this one group that was also running. That particular group bullied me since middle school, they were all the ‘popular’ kids. I am gay and I have been out since I was a kid, so I was a prime target. I started to fight to back when I got into Junior year, which garnered me as a leader to most of the other kids that were also being bullied. So, with some support I ran a campaign. The popular boys ran too and capitalised on the queer community within the school and they demonised us, saying that we would be forced to be straight under their government. There was no teachers stopping them from saying all these things, no one was on our side. Eventually they won the election. I had to last 2 years under these kids who were trying to make everyone like them, it was hell. The bullying got worse, and still no teachers intervened. There was another election held a year later, I ran again. And guess what, they won again so we all had endure another year of their torment. During senior year Jared’s (not his real name) little brother was a Freshmen, he must have kissed a boy or something cause he suddenly was being called gay and getting bullied. I think that was one of the things that made Jared start hanging out with us, I was never going to judge anyone but I was apprehensive at first. He turned out to be really nice. At the end of the year we became really close, then we graduated. We stay in touch as much as possible, he always gives me updates on the school that his brother still goes to. It turns out after all the ‘popular kids’ left, a new group of them sprung up, they still win the election every year, and Jared’s little brother runs against them as well. I just hope one day we will finally win.

Drown out the noise

In January this year, I decided to publish my first song. It didn’t take long for it to be noticed by the kids at school, and soon they started to make fun of me and my music. This really hurt because people created an Instagram page to make fun of me on, and also made comments about it all the time at school. It had eventually made me start having frequent emotional breakdowns and only worsened my depression that I already had. It eventually got the the point where the smallest things upset me, and eventually I had threatened to harm myself. After my parents talked to me, I decided to publish another song called No More Noise which talks about tuning out people who make fun of you. So please remember that if you need to talk to somebody, don’t wait. Go and find somebody ASAP. And also, if people make fun of you, just remember, haters are admirers in denial. So don’t let them get to you, drown out the noise.

From Invisible to Visible: A Journey of Healing and Empowerment

Growing up, I always thought childhood games like hide-and-seek were supposed to be filled with laughter and friendship. But there was one day that changed everything for me. I was left alone in a tiny closet, locked away while the rest of the group continued the game, completely forgetting I was even there. At first, I thought I had won, but as time passed, I realized I was invisible, forgotten by those I thought were my friends. That moment of being left in the dark became the metaphor for much of my childhood, where I felt unseen and unimportant.

The bullying I faced wasn’t loud or obvious—it was covert. For years, two of my “friends” wove a web of humiliation around me, making me feel like I didn’t matter, and this constant emotional assault chipped away at my sense of self-worth. Eventually, this pain manifested in panic attacks, a deep feeling of being trapped in my own life. It took me a long time to realize that I was not just the victim of these bullying incidents, I had been allowing myself to stay stuck in that role. That realization became the beginning of my journey to reclaim my power.

The path to healing wasn’t easy. For me, it started with creative expression. At the age of 11, I turned to the performing arts, particularly acting and dance, as a way to express what I couldn’t say with words. The stage became my sanctuary, where I could step out of my own pain and take up space in a way that was freeing. It was through dance that I learned to take up space and feel worthy of it, and through theater, I found a voice that had been silenced for so long.

As I grew older, I began to understand that my journey wasn’t just about healing my own wounds, it was about helping others find their voices too. By 13, I was taking on leading roles, from Mary Poppins to Joan of Arc, and these characters taught me not only to embody strength but also to have empathy for those who may have hurt me. I began to see the bigger picture: that bullies are often hurting too, and their actions are a reflection of their own pain.

Now, I use my voice to empower others, especially teens, to take a stand for themselves. My work is rooted in the belief that when we transform our hurt into creative pursuits, we not only heal ourselves but also become a beacon of light for others who may feel invisible. I encourage young people to find their outlet for self-expression, whether it’s through art, sports, or even just talking openly about their experiences. Our stories matter, they are powerful, and when we share them, we connect, heal, and change the narrative.

I once believed I was invisible. But now, I know my worth, and I’ve learned to shine. From that dark closet to the stage of my life, my mission is to show others that they too can move from invisible to visible, from fear to freedom. I stand here not just for myself, but for anyone who feels like they don’t matter, because you do. You always have.

Watch my full TEDx Talk, “Powerful Lessons from a Bullied Teen,” to hear more of my story and how creative expression helped me heal: https: //www.youtube.com / watch?v= e-ryQewOLrc