YOUTH RESOURCES: To those bullied: You are not alone

You, with your words

like knives

And swords and weapons that you use against me

You have knocked me off my feet again

Got me feeling like I'm nothing

You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard

Calling me out when I'm wounded

You, picking on the weaker man

Someday I'll be living

in a big ol' city

And all you're ever

gonna be is mean

Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

Why you gotta be

so mean?

You, with your

switching sides

And your wildfire lies

and your humiliation

You have pointed out

my flaws again

As if I don't already

see them

I walk with my head down

Trying to block you out 'cause I'll never

impress you

I just wanna feel

OK again

— Taylor Swift

Anyone who has been through middle school most likely can relate to the words written by Taylor Swift in her hit song "Mean," which has become an anthem for young victims of bullies. She recently has been in their shoes and can relate to how they feel.

Taylor Swift's relatable lyrics put into words what thousands of youths feel when they are targeted by a bully. The 2009 Issue Alert by the Indiana Youth Institute states that 70 percent of those ages 12 to 15 say that bullying is a big problem at school and approximately one-third of all sixth- to 10th-graders have been involved in bullying, as the bully, the target of bullying or both.

Youths who are bullied often feel alone and as if they are the only person who is being picked on while everyone else just watches. When those students know that they are not alone and that they have support from a role model who has been bullied, too, they can feel empowered to stand up for themselves and realize that nothing really is "wrong" with them.

Disney Channel has launched a "Friends for Change" campaign in which its young stars are challenging viewers to stand up for the person they see being bullied and to think before they send texts or messages that could be perceived as cruel. Nickelodeon's teen stars also are part of their own campaign called The Big Help that addresses various forms of bullying.

Youths also have role models in their own communities who can help them handle situations involving bullies. Youth Resources recently hosted 185 local middle school students at its 11th Annual TEENPOWER Conference. High school students served as the peer leaders at camp and chose topics such as bullying for discussion-based workshops throughout the week.

TEENPOWER's high school leaders simulated bullying situations they had experienced and they facilitated responses from the middle-school campers about what advice they would give to the victim and what they would say and do to stop the bully.

"Sometimes other kids make fun of me for the clothes I wear," said one male participant. "But I don't think I dress weird."

A male high school leader was able to respond to him and share, "When I was in middle school, I got made fun of for my clothes, too. I never understood why they made fun of me for just wearing a T-shirt and shorts. What is there to make fun of about that?"

Another girl shared that she had to switch to a different school to remove herself from the aggression of other girls in her class. One of the female high school leaders related to her and shared that she also switched schools in the seventh grade and found it hard to make new friends at first. But she said it quickly was much better than her previous school, where she had been bullied.

The middle school students had the opportunity to hear from 30 high school students who served as their role models, sharing how they dealt with being bullied and that just because the bullies say mean things about them does not make them true.

For many of the middle school campers at TEENPOWER, this was the first time they were in a place with almost 200 other youths their age where they were welcomed, appreciated and accepted for being completely themselves. They heard this message directly from high school students who could relate completely with what they are going through.

Taylor Swift, the stars on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon and high-school student leaders from Youth Resources' TEENPOWER Camps will not be standing beside these younger students the next time they are bullied. But the messages that these teen role models instill in them will be with them in their minds and can give them the strength to get through it, knowing that they are not alone.
