Can you be bullied into anorexia?

20th August 2009

Can you be bullied into anorexia?

posted in Anorexia, Fat Bias, Feminist Topics, Legal Issues, Mental Health |

In what is being hailed as a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, a Pennsylvania mom is suing Pittsburgh Public Schools claiming that her daughter developed anorexia as the result of being bullied about her weight by a group of male students, and that the school did nothing to stop it. The federal lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of an unnamed mother states that the woman’s sixth-grade daughter began to be bullied in 2006-07 by three boys who called her “fat.” ABC news reports:

The girl was in a program for gifted students, made straight A’s and was active in community and volunteer programs, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit contends a guidance counselor did nothing to stop the bullying. The next year, in seventh grade, two other boys joined in the daily harassment.

“Some other students tried to shame the boys about the conduct. However, no faculty member or other school official intervened,” the lawsuit said. By February 2008, the girl entered an inpatient treatment program for anorexia nervosa because “her weight was dangerously low.”

The girl’s mother contends school officials harassed her when she tried to home-school the girl, who now attends private school.

If Columbine and the sad case of Megan Meier has taught us anything, it’s that bullying is nothing to be taken lightly. But, as in the case of the Columbine shooters, to say that bullying (or video games or absentee parents or black trenchcoats) are to blame for behaviors taken to extremes is an oversimplification, at best. From the lawsuit, it appears as if this girl was a prime candidate to develop an eating disorder anyway — many with anorexia are standout students with type A personalities, as Lynn Grefe, CEO of NEDA, explains in the ABC report:

“With eating disorders, we say you’re born with a gun and life pulls the trigger,” said Grefe, who has never heard of a school being sued over such a scenario.

Generally, people who develop anorexia already have issues with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive or perfectionist behavior. Bullying could trigger anorexia in those people but not others who are taunted about their weight, Grefe said.

“The person’s often a real high achiever, and if you put those people in a situation and then their world comes crashing down, they get triggered,” Grefe said.

The fact that these circumstances behind the filing of the lawsuit existed at all is tragic, especially if the school knew about the bullying and did little to nothing to stop it. Weight-related bullying may not in itself cause anorexia, but from personal experiences, it can result in depression, poor self-esteem, emotional issues, bad grades etc… One of the primary reasons I participated in a post-secondary program (in which I attended college classes) my senior year of high school was because I wanted to get away from what was for me daily harassment about my weight. I won’t say that the harassment itself caused my later eating disorder, but it was certainly the largest motivator in my decision to begin dieting, which rapidly escalated into anorexia and bulimia.

Fortunately for the mom, she doesn’t have to *prove* that the bullying caused her daughter’s anorexia. She filed the suit alleging the school’s failure to protect the girl under Title IX, a federal anti-discrimination law. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in the past that peer-on-peer gender harassment violated Title IX if the school should have stopped the abuse and a student lost an educational opportunity as a result. And regardless of whether or not the bullying caused anorexia in this girl or if the disorder simply lie dormant in wait of a spark, a 12-year-old girl was attacked daily for two years because somebody thought she was fat and deserved to be punished for it. I guess we can only be glad that she ended up in an inpatient treatment program and not the morgue.

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1 On August 20th, 2009, Bethface said:

As someone who was bullied for years in junior high school I hope that the school is found guilty. For two straight years(7th grade and 8th grade) I was made fun of for pretty much everything about my self. My weight, my skin, my hair, the clothes I wore, everything!!! And I am not saying that occasionally someone said something mean. I mean I would get to school and be tripped walking up the stairs, get to my locker where someone would have left a note calling me something really nasty and mean. I would run to class with the hopes of trying to get somewhere safe to be made fun of in front of the teacher. It never ended. Hours and hours of hell on earth.

When I got to high school on my very first day several of the kids that made fun of me started right in. The difference was that a teacher actually did something about it. They were sent to the principal. Two days later I was asked to go to the Principals office where he informed me that he was aware of the bullying and he would do what it took to make it stop. By the second week the bullying had almost completely stopped, and by the third week it had stopped. I joined clubs and sports teams and I started to get good grades something I was unable to do in Junior High.

I found out a few years ago that my parents had spoken to the Principal about the bullying. A plan was put in place, the teachers were instructed to watch for me in the hallway and make sure that nothing happened to me. They were instructed that any and all bullies would be sent to the Principal where there were informed that their behavior was not tolerated and their parents were notified. Two kids were not allowed to try out for football because they decided that they would try to bully me when no one was looking. They had been informed that would happen and it did. Bullying me became just to dangerous of a prospect.

My bullying stopped because of that Principal, he became an active participant. He didn’t put his hands in the air and say “kids will be kids”. I understand that a certain amount of teasing is part of school and teachers can’t be everywhere but when they do see it they need to be proactive. And the punishment for bullies needs to be serious and severe. The school needs to have follow through.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 11:49 am

2 On August 20th, 2009, Liza said:

That’s going to be tough, I would think. I mean, I agree that the school should be held accountable for what goes on inside its walls, but I have a weird feeling this will be tough to win in court. I know it says she doesn’t have to prove cause, but I’m sure it will come up anyway.

It’s the old “nature vs nurture” debate. Is she born this way and would have developed the eating disorder anyway, or would she never have had a problem had the bullying never happened? Obviously, it’s impossible to say 100% for sure either way. I happen to believe somewhere in the middle (much like that quote) – she probably had the predisposition to develop one but the bullying pushed it over the edge. What that means is that the same bullying might NOT cause an ED in someone without the predisposition, but it also means that without the bullying the predisposed girl in question may not have developed it (whether or not something else triggered it down the road is another story).

I think that schools should worry a hell of a lot MORE about bullying and less about stupid trivial things (like dress codes, for example). If there should be a zero tolerance policy for anything, it should be for that.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

3 On August 20th, 2009, Mary said:

Whether the bullying caused the ED or not really shouldn’t make a difference in whether the school loses their case. If they were aware of bullying and did not intervene, they are culpable.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 1:44 pm

4 On August 20th, 2009, Forestroad said:

Thank you for addressing this; I read about it earlier today and was hoping you would. I agree that bullying, period, is the main issue here.

However, One thing that really bothers me is the assertion that she would have developed the eating disorder anyway. It doesn’t matter. I’m trying to search for an analogy here, but am having trouble. If I have a gene that predisposes me to fall down stairs, sure, it’s likely that at some point in my life I’m going to injure myself falling down stairs. But, if you push me, it doesn’t matter if I might have fallen down stairs in the future anyway, you still pushed me down the stairs. What I mean to say is, it’s not the girl’s fault that she had a predisposition to ED and you picked on her, it’s your own damn fault that you picked on a girl with ED, even if you didn’t know she had one–you ran that risk when started bullying ANYONE. I can drive recklessly and it’s not a good thing to do, and maybe there will be no serious consequences, but one day i just might injure someone seriously, and it will be my fault. Even if they had a condition that predisposed them to get hit by a car.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 2:08 pm

5 On August 20th, 2009, Forestroad said:

Maybe this issue just hit close to home for me, so I identify with the girl. I remember a little while back a mother going on the news circuit to raise awareness about bullying after her daughter committed suicide as a result of bullying, and I was much less convinced that this was the fault of the bullies. Granted, at issue here isn’t whether or not it’s the fault of the bullies, it’s if it’s the fault of the school for not stopping the bullying.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 2:15 pm

6 On August 20th, 2009, No Celery Please said:

I just have this horrible image of the defense attorney standing up in court and saying “well, she was fat… they weren’t saying anything untrue. Plus, now she’s not, so they helped her”

I know logically that this isn’t going to happen, but that was my first thought of how I would see the defense playing it.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 2:21 pm

7 On August 20th, 2009, Rachel said:

However, One thing that really bothers me is the assertion that she would have developed the eating disorder anyway.

She may or may not have developed an eating disorder had the bullying not took place, but I think Lynn Grefe’s more salient point here is that she appears to be the kind of person who is genetically predisposed to anorexia. I do think it’s important that people understand that there is no smoking gun for why people develop eating disorders — they’re vast, complex and often organic in nature — and to simplify it as the result of bullying further muddies the waters that eating disorder researchers have managed to clear in the past couple decades. Sure, the bullying is wrong no matter if the girl did or did not develop an eating disorder, but lots of kids are bullied and do not go on to develop an eating disorder as a result. In short, the bullying itself did not cause the eating disorder — the girl’s predisposition to it did. I do understand what you’re saying because it does sound an awful like like blaming-the-victim and I agree that these boys should be punished and the school held liable for failing to stop the abuse, but eating disorders are so misunderstood even today that I would hate for “bullyrexia” to become the new alarmist buzz word.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 3:02 pm

8 On August 20th, 2009, Ashley said:

There’s no doubt the school should have put a stop to it, and I can understand mom taking legal action against that alone, however…to sue saying the harassment pretty much caused the girl to develop an eating disorder is a bit much. I totally believe that it is every parent’s responsibilty to instill a level of confidence into their child that is not as affected by negative remarks, at least not so much so that the child becomes depressed or wants to starve themselves. If that does happen, it’s probably because the kid was already insecure in the first place.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

9 On August 20th, 2009, rachel with a little "r" said:

Bethface, your story is good anecdotal evidence for the school officials who say, “But there’s nothing we can do about. Kids will be kids.” When the truth is, if someone DOES do something about it, it helps. Being willing to take the prized tiara of FOOTBALL of all things away from bullies is powerful leverage, and unfortunately, due to the status of football in schools, many principals are unwilling to use it.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 3:22 pm

10 On August 20th, 2009, jessa said:

Forestroad basically took the words out of my mouth.

Rachel, I do appreciate that many anorexics are people who are also people who are perfectionists, obsessive, whatever in other areas of their lives. This is an undeniable trend within anorexia. Bullying is also an undeniable trend. I don’t really understand what the difference is, why one is an “okay” thing to assume and stereotype on the basis of, but the other is not. Is it because being really good at stuff is a desirable attribute? That’s not good enough. I think the assumption of perfectionism in anorexics has become ubiquitous just as you fear “bullyrexia” becoming ubiquitous. Why is one okay?

For me the bottom line is that eating disorders (and all mental illnesses) are too complex to make assumptions like these about. It is good and useful to notice trends. It is not good when those trends become stereotypes and assumptions. To allow and sanction one stereotype (perfectionism) but disallow and complain about another is confusing. I don’t see how we can reasonably ask others not to stereotype anorexics on one basis while sanctioning stereotypes on another basis.

(This opinion comes to you out of a skepticism of the genetic/biological basis on mental illness. Despite what the research SEEMS to indicate, I think we still don’t know enough to really separate out the causes of eating disorders. Even if the genetic/biological link were actually established, the other causes are too numerous and the non-anorexic perfectionists too populous to know what was the real cause of any individual’s eating disorder.)

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

11 On August 20th, 2009, Nathreee said:

I’m always bothered by the way Americans just go about to sue everyone for everything. Even if the mother wins that lawsuit, which is unlikely, it will not magically make her daughter healthy again. The fingerpointing is pointless. Unless she is hoping to get rich. And if she does, can I cash in for the six years of bullying I have endured too please?

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 3:38 pm

12 On August 20th, 2009, Bronwyn said:

I agree completely with Forestroad- It doesn’t matter one bit if she would have developed the eating disorder through other means.

The real issue here is bullying anyway, and as a victim of bullying in school I really sympathize with her- I know that in my case the bullying was just another thing that contributed to my own eating disorder, the other was a hotbed of disordered eating at home along with a healthy helping of food shortage.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 3:53 pm

13 On August 20th, 2009, Bree said:

While I’ll agree that the American way of “if you can’t get what you want, just sue” is irritating, unfortunately, most things just don’t get done unless a lawsuit is initiated, especially when it comes to schools.

The American public school system today is appalling because school administrators are too busy worrying about dress codes and standardized testing, when kids are being psychologically and physically hurt by bullies. Of course, it also doesn’t help that schools are using “no fat kid” programs to teach students about nutrition, buying into the belief that thin equals health and you can’t have sweets once in a while. Kids aren’t stupid, and if they’re taught early that fat means bad and unacceptable, of course they’ll bully the fat kids.

I don’t think just being bullied led to this girl’s ED, but I don’t negate the possibility it did play a role.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 4:02 pm

14 On August 20th, 2009, Emerald said:

jessa, this is something I wonder. I did psychology at evening class once, and we did a module on EDs, and I was somewhat alarmed to find, on looking through the section on anorexia, that I checked almost all the risk factors. Perfectionist upbringing, sent to a high-achieving academic school, all the rest of that stuff. (The only thing at the time that I thought didn’t apply was having an ED in the family, and we later found out some well-hidden stuff about my late mother’s eating habits that made me rethink that one.)
Nevertheless, I managed to not ever develop an ED – or indeed, to put up with even a mild slimming diet for any appreciable length of time – so I figure there must be other, more complex factors involved.

But…The bullying should be regarded as wrong anyway, whether or not it can be shown to be a cause of her ED. Period. The real problem is that it takes something as drastic as a bullied child developing an ED, or self-harming, or taking his or her own life, before it gets taken seriously. And sometimes even not then.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

15 On August 20th, 2009, Rachel said:

I’m always bothered by the way Americans just go about to sue everyone for everything. Even if the mother wins that lawsuit, which is unlikely, it will not magically make her daughter healthy again.

No, but it might pay for the private school her daughter now attends. And sadly, Bree is right. Often times schools and businesses don’t change their ways and do the right thing until a hefty financial judgment forces their hand.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

16 On August 20th, 2009, rachel with a little "r" said:

one could make the philosophical argument that all people with eating disorders are bullied into them to some extent, because no matter the cause of the eating disorder in that one person’s case, no one takes it upon themselves to decide to harm themselves in that way without influence from the outside.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 5:46 pm

17 On August 20th, 2009, Nancy said:

Not gonna lie, I agree with rachel. In this day and age, something’s wrong with EVERYONE’S body and 2/3rds of people don’t fit into the ‘healthy’ weight range, so really, who with an eating disorder hasn’t been lectured about being fat or their eating habits? i agree genetics and all kinds of things play a role, but fat hysteria could well be the trigger that pulls the gun.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 5:58 pm

18 On August 20th, 2009, Phyllis said:

I work in a school district and no matter that we have had numerous trainings, revised district policy to mirror the state’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ law against bullying, and preach anti-bullying behavior, it’s almost as if you are talking to a brick wall. Teachers and administrators don’t want to deal with it because it’s hard, it takes daily vigilance by everyone (as outlined in the first comment) and will likely make some parents mad when their little angels are found to be the perpetrators. Having said that, just becaus it’s hard doesn’t mean it isn’t the right thing to do. I hope the mom wins her case.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 6:06 pm

19 On August 20th, 2009, Caro said:

In legal jargon, what people are describing when they say that it shouldn’t matter whether or not she was predisposed to it, that the bullies are still at fault, is what’s called the “thin skull rule.” The rule says that you take the plaintiff as you find him or her. That means that if your plaintiff is exceptionally sensitive, or has some preexisting medical condition (ie – predisposed to cancer), or some other idiosyncrasy that means that your otherwise mostly normal behavior has some sort of catastrophic unintended result, it is still your fault. So, for example, if you lightly push someone who has really brittle bones and manage to break her arm, it’s not her fault for having brittle bones. You’re still at fault for pushing her. As so many have already articulated, the same principle ought to apply here. It’s not the girl’s fault for being predisposed to an eating disorder, the kids should not have been teasing her.

Also, if the mom is suing for the bullying alone, and is not claiming in the actual lawsuit that the bullying caused the eating disorder, then she’s got a strong case if she has documented things well and any students or faculty are willing to testify. Frankly, I’d be surprised if the case ever goes to trial. Odds are REALLY high that the school district will just settle, as a trial would mean that their general lack of addressing the problem would be made public. And trials are extremely expensive for defendants.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 6:47 pm

20 On August 20th, 2009, Lauren said:

What bothered me when I read the comments on this story on another site is that most of the people said something along the lines of, “Everyone gets teased. Kids will be kids. We are too easy on kids these days, etc.” I remember grade school and high school pretty well since I’m not that old (yet!) and while I sometimes got teased (for my curly hair, though they certainly could have made comments on my weight), there were definitely one or two kids in each grade that bore the brunt of it. Sometimes it’s really easy for kids to have one target to all gain up on and, in my experience, it happened all the time. In my 8th grade class, the boy that took most of the teasing tried to commit suicide…and in retrospect I certainly think that we, his classmates, were at least partially to blame.
I think that people need to distinguish between normal run-of-the-mill childhood teasing and extremely harmful bullying – because there definitely IS a difference.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 7:42 pm

21 On August 20th, 2009, Julanar said:

Bullying sure as hell played a role in my anorexia. Several boys and one girl started harassing me and calling me fat in first grade. In second grade, I started dieting in response to the bullying, and at 13, I was hospitalized.

I found Ashley’s comments disturbing. I certainly WISH that all parents could “instill” a lot of confidence in their children, but it’s not anywhere near as easy as she seems to think it is. My parents were fine, and they certainly TRIED to make me confident. I told them about the bullying, and they constantly told me that what the bullies said wasn’t true, I should ignore them, they were just stupid boys, etc. etc. Yes, some of their advice was simplistic and stupid, but that doesn’t make them responsible. You can do your best, but no matter what women’s magazines say, you can’t really “bully-proof” a child.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 11:05 pm

22 On August 20th, 2009, Meowser said:

If those boys had bullied that girl into slashing her wrists instead of starving herself, you could make the same argument that millions of kids get bullied and don’t slash their wrists, so the bullying didn’t cause it. No, it didn’t cause her to have a genetic predisposition to act out in a certain way, but it was certainly an exacerbating factor, and one that could have been prevented with a less cavalier attitude and less fat hate in society in general. Twelve is very, very young to have a life-threatening ED.

posted on August 20th, 2009 at 11:37 pm

23 On August 21st, 2009, FatNSassy said:

Personally, I am glad this woman is doing this, even though I usually don’t agree with always suing the deep pockets, or using lawsuits as a remedy for all social ills. But bullying is a problem. With the weight loss industry infiltrating schools and encouraging weight obsession, fat kids will be picked on even more. Perhaps the threat of lawsuits will be a countermeasure.

posted on August 21st, 2009 at 12:08 am

24 On August 21st, 2009, Nathreee said:

Unfortunately Lauren, people do not make that distinction. They don’t believe it until they’ve seen it. That’s the problem with a lawsuit against bullying; you have to prove it. And very often, the bullying just doesn’t become that tangible.

Julanar is right, there is no way parents can undo what bullies do to a child. From personal experience I can just say that if fourty kids ( Yes they managed to get a lot of others to join in) tell you that you suck, day after day, it doesn’t matter how many times your mother says you’re smart and pretty. I learned that if my bullies managed to make everyone believe a lie (e.g. I had fleas and everything I touched had to be disinfected, the casette tape in my walkman played sesamestreet music) the truth just didn’t matter anymore.

I don’t think a school can prevent stuff like this, I know people tried to make my bullies stop, but my being bullied sort of became a fact of life in that school. I don’t know what can be done when a group of kids has found an underdog they can have so much fun with, so I don’t think sueing will get anyone anywhere.

posted on August 21st, 2009 at 3:33 am

25 On August 21st, 2009, Jess said:

The “kids will be kids” line gets me every time.

Are kids being kids when they throw rocks, large ones, at your face?
Are kids being kids when they circle around you like vultures, heckling and grabbing and pinching so much that you have to LEAVE school, not even taking your bookbag?
Are kids being kids when they throw a lab stool at you, hitting your knee and sending you to the doctor?
Are kids being kids when they sexually assault you as a part of their “teasing”?

From the time I was 7 to the time I was 14, I was bullied every. single. day. Has it had an effect on me? Sure has. Don’t like it, though, but I’ve learned to move past the vast majority of it. No school official ever did a thing to stop it– in fact, I oft was the one to receive punishment, after defending myself. In my opinion, kids WILL NOT be kids, they will be savage little beasts who, if left unchecked, are capable of terrible things.

posted on August 21st, 2009 at 7:50 am

26 On August 21st, 2009, Jess said:

ETA: I don’t know what it takes to get school faculty involved. Why does it take a court case, a death, a serious condition to get people’s attention? This is a serious problem.

posted on August 21st, 2009 at 7:51 am

27 On August 21st, 2009, Rachel said:

Frankly I find it odd the lack of action on behalf of PPS what with all the zero-tolerance policies on bullying that many schools have adopted in the wake of Columbine and other school shootings.

posted on August 21st, 2009 at 9:47 am

28 On August 21st, 2009, Alyssa (The 39 year-old) said:

One can ABSOLUTELY be bullied into EDs!!!! (Just look at Hollywood actresses; they’re not that skinny because they WANT to be. Agents, producers, directors, etc. are ALWAYS pressuring women to lose weight.)

posted on August 21st, 2009 at 4:30 pm

29 On August 21st, 2009, merri said:

I don’t know if people can be bullied into eating disorders or not, but bullying in school will cause some damage, whatever it is. Children, especially in a group, are not always the most moral or caring beings, and I can say from personal experience that school, especially middle and high school, was the worst experience of my life, and I’d cry begging my mother not to make me go. I don’t think parents, teachers, or anyone else, should just let it go on because that’s the way things are. Poor girl..

posted on August 21st, 2009 at 6:18 pm

30 On August 22nd, 2009, Lexie Di said:

I totally relate to this story. While I was in high school, I was harassed for 2 years. Even to the point of being threatened with an object shaped like a knife. I have my knees kicked out while climbing the stairs, I had people scream in my ear and tell me I’m loose because “all fat girls are.” High school was hell. I luckily had good friends that made it semi-bearable. I did go to my counselor each time something happened (especially with a certain boy who would not stop) and nothing was ever done. NOTHING! Then I was blamed for nothing happening. I was told I didn’t report it enough even though I’d been in multiple times crying and made a formal report of a death threat right after the Virginia Tech shooting. I hate my high school. I hate my counselor most of all. I wish I could tell him again what a failure he is.

posted on August 22nd, 2009 at 7:44 pm

31 On August 22nd, 2009, Lexie Di said:

Ashley: The good words certainly do not stand a chance against the bad! When your mom and dad say you’re perfect and then you’re told by almost everyone else that you’re less deserving than most, that little bit of confidence can’t hold up! When someone teases you and you scream “I’m perfect!” The only thing you’ll be hit with is laughter and “Who told you that? Your mommy?”

It doesn’t work the way you claim. Instilling pride in your child is important but it can’t last against the constant peer harassment and pressures. It’s like putting up a cardboard wall to stop an army.

posted on August 22nd, 2009 at 7:52 pm

32 On August 23rd, 2009, zuzu said:

A little late to the party here, but:

Frankly I find it odd the lack of action on behalf of PPS what with all the zero-tolerance policies on bullying that many schools have adopted in the wake of Columbine and other school shootings.

They don’t want to have to deal with it. My nephew’s being bullied. Because he has autism, he is susceptible to being bullied, and the school not only knows it, they’re obligated by federal law (ADEA) to do something about it because he has an Individual Education Plan which requires them to both help him deal with bullies himself and do something about it administratively. The state where they live has a zero-tolerance law. The school has a zero-tolerance policy.

My sister is very carefully documenting each incident in writing and making school officials aware of it, referencing the IEP. She’s got names, dates, locations, descriptions, resulting injuries, and whether there would have/should have been an adult around. She focuses on the teachers’ and administrators’ responsibility to supervise stuff like the bus line-up.

But what happens is that the school administration, when faced with all of this documented evidence, throw up the “boys will be boys” screen and refuse to define what’s going on as bullying, or put the responsibility for preventing it on my autistic nephew (of course, if he tries to defend himself, he gets in trouble immediately, because defending yourself against a bully isn’t allowed). Because if they call it bullying, the state law kicks in, and they have to do something about it.

And they don’t want to be bothered. The zero-tolerance law lets them say they take a strong stance, but when it comes right down to it, they just handwave away the problem by refusing to define it as what it so obviously is.

Another thing I haven’t seen mentioned much is the fact that a lot of kids who are targets of bullies are unpopular. And not just with other students, but with teachers. When you have a kid who’s popular with teachers picking on a kid who’s not, the teachers are going to side with the bully.

posted on August 23rd, 2009 at 10:52 am

33 On August 24th, 2009, GeekGirlsRule said:

I was bullied, too. And labeled as a slut: http://www.canow.org/canoworg/2009/07/slut.html

Of everything I’ve ever written on the internet, this one piece has garnered the most hits.

I got hit, punched, pinched, groped, raped, hit by a car. The harassment was constant, and all my parents ever did was tell me to just ignore it and they’d go away. They didn’t. It didn’t stop until we moved out of the state.

I’m glad this woman is doing something on behalf of her daughter.

posted on August 24th, 2009 at 6:16 pm