Bullying… It needs to stop!

I am pretty sure I have mentioned I was bullied in school. This is a copy of a post I posted on Facebook in response to a post about bullying. There is a lot of talk about bullying and stopping it. You don’t hear a lot about how to heal it and why there is not more of a support system in place with our schools. Maybe there is, anyhow below is my story…

‪I often see these posts and wonder why none of us who were bullied ever talked about it. I was bullied from some who are my friends on my FB today. I never remember talking about it with anyone

BULLYING STOP THE MADNESS!!! True story…My name is Sherri Dexter and I was bullied all of my thirteen school years. I think posts need to ask more than just to stop bullying, we need to bring more awareness to it and the effects it has.

I blame no one and I am not looking for pitty. It is just the way it was. If I can change the mind of one person to change their behavior or raise more awareness, then it is all worth it. I ask others who were bullied to share their stories.

I have blocked a lot out, one of my nicknames was Dexter Germs. Any new kid who entered the school was warned not to hang out with me or they would be teased as well. On more than one occasion through my years in elementary school the teacher would ask me to run an errand to the office, as I returned to the classroom I could hear the teacher asking the kids to be nice to me. I stole money from my parents when I was in the third grade to buy ice cream for all the kids hoping someone would be my friend. When I entered Jr/Sr high the basketball coach approached me to play. There was no way, I was too terrified that if I did play and mess up, it would only give them more reason to pick on me. Going to the bathroom was a nightmare in high school, there was days I held it till I got home, sometimes peeing my pants just as I got to the door. I had friends, but they were only my friends once we got off the school bus or when no one else was around. Some of the kids in my neighborhood were just downright evil and the things they got away with doing to me on and off the bus. The stories are endless…. When I was in high school and got into some trouble with a guy from outside the school, the principle asked me why I didn’t date any of the boys from our school. This man had no idea of my history and I was a regular with the guidance counselors. I was pregnant and a whore by the time I was 14, even though I was a virgin. I started modeling in hopes that if everyone else thought I was pretty, then maybe just maybe, I would be accepted and popular too. I hated being in school with a passion, so in the tenth grade I went on the work-study program allowing me to leave school to work. The stress of being in that environment kept me from taking advantage of what was being offered to me in the way of education.

Fast forward to today… It has taken me a long time to rid some of the effects of those years. I know many who have never been able to get over the effects; they killed themselves, unable to take the voices any more, unable to trust anyone or their motive, never getting over the fact that they feel they will ever be good enough.

I encourage those who have been bullied to speak. Lets talk about it! Feel free to share my story and please do not be afraid or ashamed, share yours.