AS THE 2008~2009 SCHOOL YEAR SOON BEGINS, I WOULD ASK EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU TO PLEASE REMEMBER MEGAN'S STORY AND EVERY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS SHARED THEIR STORY ON MYYEARBOOK.COM ABOUT BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING. WE ALL NOW REALIZE HOW DEVASTATING IT IS WHEN IT HAPPENS TO US, OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. MY HOPE IS THAT WE ALL TAKE A FEW MINUTES BEFORE WE SEND THAT MEAN MESSAGE, SAY SOMETHING HORRIBLE TO SOMEONE OR START THE TEXTING WAR AND KNOW IT'S NEVER WORTH IT TO HURT SOMEONE ELSE!!
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE MEGAN PLEDGE! REMEMBER, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE 1 MILLION PEOPLE SIGN THE PLEDGE IN 2008. WITH YOUR HELP I KNOW THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED! PLEASE ASK YOUR SCHOOLS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE MEGAN PLEDGE ~ IT'S A GREAT WAY TO ADDRESS CYBERBULLYING ISSUES. THANKS AGAIN ~ TINA MEIER
I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE YOU ARE MAKING! I HAVE SPOKE TO SO MANY KIDS AND PARENTS FROM NOT ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES BUT FROM ACROSS THE WORLD AND THEY ARE READING THE COMMENTS AND STORIES THAT YOU ARE WRITING AT MYYEARBOOK.COM. THE MORE WE SPEAK OUT ABOUT HOW MUCH BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING REALLY HURT AND THEY DO EXIST ON A DAILY BASIS, THE MORE WE CAN HELP PUT AN END TO THIS. THE OLD SAYING "STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME" IS SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH. WORDS GO SO DEEP AND CAN LAST A LIFETIME. MY HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP SPREADING THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THAT WE CAN REACH THE GOAL OF 1 MILLION PEOPLE TO SIGN THE MEGAN PLEDGE IN 2008! THANK YOU ~ TINA
Good morning! I just wanted to take a moment and let everyone
know how much I continue to appreciate you support of the Megan
Pledge. Megan was such a great girl with a fantastic sense of humor.
She would have been so amazed to see how many people are behind this
wonderful effort to end cyberbullying. Today I am attending a
conference in New York with Stopcyberbullying.Org and speaking about
cyberbullying and the Megan Pledge.
Please keep spreading the word about the Megan Pledge and cyberbullying - I know together we can make a difference!
May 27, 2008 ~ Today I was interviewed by the Associated Press and one of the questions the reporter asked me was "how do you handle talking about Megan and what happened to her all of the time", and the reporter went on to ask "do you ever feel like it's too much or does it help with your grief"? My response to her was "whenever I feel like things are really getting tough, all I have to do is read amazing messages from wonderful people just like you and I know I can get through those tough days."
There are so many people being cyberbullied on a daily basis that we all have to work together to put a stop to this. Please continue to spread the word about the "Megan Pledge" and cyberbullying. As always thank you for your continued support. ~ Tina Meier
In 1998 a 12 year old was killed by an 11 year old in
Japan. The murder victim has been text-bullying the younger girl. Within a few
years, many more teens had taken their own lives or hurt others because of
cyberbullying. In the last two months, two young people in NJ committed suicide
after being tormented online. Bullying hurts. In addition to the physical pain,
after the bruises have healed, the hurt remains. Battered self-esteem,
rerunning the hateful and hurtful taunts, worrying if you will run into a group
determined to make your life miserable. We all know it.
I have read your stories over and over, with tears in my eyes.
You have inspired me. You give me faith. You have touched me in ways you can’t
imagine. I donate my time protecting people online. But I couldn’t
protect Megan. Instead, I hope to join with all of you to build a support system
to help all others being hurt. To give them hope. To give them choices, when
suicide looks inviting. To give them a safe place to land. Thank you for all
you have shared and are doing…you will never know how much it means to
Megan’s family and to us at WiredSafety (home of stopcyberbullying).
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Everyone has memories of bullying. (Some were of bullying today
at school, some from years ago) Some were victimized. And some remember being
the bully. And so many confessed here at myYearbook that they were the bully,
but after having heard Megan’s story, are changing their lives. That is
wonderful!
What is it about Megan that touches us so deeply? Is it her
vulnerability? Her beautiful face and heavier body? The promise of her future
flushed down the toilet because of a mother posing as a cute boy, just to gain
her trust?
I think it is a couple things. We expect moms to look out for
all kids, not only their own. This one betrayed that trust. Lori Drew knew that
Megan was fragile emotionally. She knew that she had been diagnosed with
depression and on medication from the time she was young. But she targeted her
anyway, basically for laughs. That’s what gets to me the most. The
unfairness of an adult preying on a young and fragile teen, breaking her heart,
betraying her trust, manipulating her for her own purposes. Moms aren’t
supposed to do that.
I also think it has to do with Megan’s picture. Grinning
with a smile full of braces, with her life before her…a young girl who
would become a beautiful woman, we can relate to her.
A group of preteen volunteers in our program (we call them the
tweenangels J) took up Megan’s cause, designing t-shirts saying “Ask
Me About Megan” and putting her pic on the shirt. When people asked, they
shared her story. They talked about how she loved black & white polka dots,
and how she brought a candybar to friends who needed cheering up. They talked
about how she was cheated of her future.
Megan was real to them. People were amazed to find out that they
had never met her. They lived in NJ, while Megan lived in Missouri. But Megan
was real to them. Just as real as she is to all of us.
Why have so many people taken the pledge? For Megan. For their
friends. For themselves. For the loss of innocence. For everyone who has faced
cruelty at the hands of bigger, more popular and tougher kids.
There was a little boy in my city that committed suicide because he was being bullied at school. He was only 12 years old. His funeral was held on Halloween. His story hurt me really bad, and I actually cried even though I did not know the boy. It is really sad what children do to each other. I hope one day everyone can get along, and accept the fact that not everyone is the same. You can Tre'Juan's story in my blog. courteneybrianne.blogspot.com. R.I.P Megan and Tre'Juan.
i don't have a story but i feel for everyone who has been hurt by cyberbullying, and i hope that megan will rest in peace R.I.P Megan
Anonymous
November 01, 2009 10:28 AM
i am 55 years old. i have 3 children and when they were in school everyone always pick on my kids, but at the same time they never had a computor to go on and chat with others, but they was always pick on in school, wasn't popular or anything. finally one day i told my kids , i went through the same thing when i was in school. told them to stand up for what was right, not to start a fight but to never walk away from one. well they did just that, and they got along in school, made lots of friends. my kids got in to cheerleading, band and dance routine with the school and kids. my heart goes out to u that u lost a child, because of kids stupiditty, and their mouth. god bless you and megan sweetie , may you rest in peace. GOD BLESS YOUR FAMILY
My brother and I were both picked on in school. Since I was 7 and he was 9. We were picked on for being 'weird' and 'stupid'. I had two friends, UNTIL I was 7, then, they both moved away, and I was left alone. My brother and I kept the bullying from my dad, since he was so busy all the time... My brother was picked on the most. Whenever we passed some kids in my class/his class, they would say aloud: Look... the Delmage kids..." And when we tried to make friends with the new kids, the bullies would always get to them first, saying: Don't go near those two! They're the outcasts, you don't wanna be like them!" and the new kids would listen...
Eventually, my brother and I both made friends. Anna and Daniel, who are siblings. They were new, but we didn't exactly talk to them until a year later. My dad works with their dad and they invited us over for dinner. My brother and Daniel became fast friends. Anna ignored me for a year, listening to the kids at school who always pointed to me saying: Look at her, she's so ugly and stupid..." Then my brother and I started coming home with bloody noses, black eyes, etc, etc. Finally, when I was 8... I remember Anna standing up in the hallway where she sat with her friends. She shouted at them and pointed to me saying: You don't know her like I do. So shut the heck up!" Then, she ran over to me and apologized for ignoring and became my best friend...
The bullying still continued on and on, and eventually, it happened to Daniel and Anna as well... But they didn't care, they wanted to be our friend.
When I was ten, and my brother was 12, our dad homeschooled us. Now I am 13 and he is 15. The bullying continues if we see the bullies around town... I deal with it, sometimes I will come home crying, but I won't think suicide. I can't seem to, I guess I love life too much :)
But, as for my brother... I... Don't know, he won't open up to me anymore, and I fear for him, but I also believe he loves life as much as I do. Now, I try to be the best little sister in the world for him, and I cry for him when he is feeling down. It... scares me. Sometimes, I wish I knew what he was thinking...
Anonymous
October 17, 2009 11:41 PM
i dont have a story, but my heart goes out to all ppl whose lives have been taken by cyber bullying. im against it and i beleive anyone who does it, is a sick person with no life wanting to take away someone elses. everyone whos lost someone to cyberbullying, my heart goes mostly out to you! stay string against cyber bullying!
My sister attempted suicide because she was being made fun of at school all cause she was pregnant she was consistently called a "whore" "slut" "skank" "fat ass" and etc. it was her choice too be pregnant her senior year of college when all this happened, im so grateful she ran too me before she put the gun too her head.
people seriously should grow up and stop with the cyber bullying. its all caused by jealousy and it leads too death in some cases. :( R.I.P Megan.
Anonymous
October 10, 2009 03:18 PM
I don't have a story about this. But i did an illustrated talk about bullying and i included your daughter in my speech
I'm glad u posted this story cause we need to know stuff like this is going on out there in the world.I have kids and I appreciate reading this information, sorry for ur loss.
when i was in 6th gread my health teacher told my class this story and had almost everyone in tears no person deservs to be cyberbullied i was bullied all throughout gread school and it never went to the internet and my parents finally got tired of me coming home in a bad mood and called the school and told them what had been going on because one night my brother was picking on me and i sad knock it off i get enough of that at school and ran to my bed room and slamed the door in my brothers face and my parents came in and talked to me and i told them what had been going on at school and they helped put a stop to it. no one deserves to be bullied just because of there race religon or who they are as a person i know how it feels.
I don't have a story to tell, but I have seen this all take place on different levels from the time I was in sixth grade up past the time I was a mom myself. I hope we all become more sensitive of the feelings of others.
my son is bullied alot at school he is 11 and slihjtly big 4 his age it kills me when he cries ever since the first day of kindergarten when he came home in tears saying they called him pregnant thanks for taking your loss and turning it into something that will help others things like this should not happen!
Well this didnt happen to me, but it happened to someone whom im very close to, my cousin, she was in high school when this happened, she started dating this guy whos ex girlfriend was very jealous and my cousin became the target of her attacks, the ex girlfrind made a group on a social networking site, the name of the group was "Why (my cousin) Should Die" a lot of people joined it from her school, and the harrassment moved from the internet to in person, My cousin tried to kill herself but luckily her parents found her before it was too late, the police shut down the site, but it was never the same, my cousins family moved citys so she could start fresh, but what would have happened if her parents hadnt found her? She would have killed herself believing that everybody hated her, just because some nasty words online, the whole thing could have been prevented.
i don't have a story, but i remember when some detectives came to my school two years ago a couple months after this happened and i cried at the assembly. my heart goes out to u and anyone else affected by cyberbullying! <3 <3 <3
I Posted a simple quiz on Myspace and someone had a problem with it and told me that I should kill myself. I was outraged and the first thing I did was report abuse to myspace admins, but they didn't do a thing. Not even REMOVE the hurtfull comment. I messaged Tom directlyabout the problem and he didn't reply, but ever since I've been able to delete comments on the Quizzes and other things
Anonymous
August 20, 2009 04:26 PM
i haven't been cyberbullied, and i feel bad for the thousands, or even millions that are; i mean no one should have to go through that because no one deserves it. no one.
i dont have a story but my school was talking about megan today and i was devastated it made me wanna cry even though i dont kno her but its a very tragic story im so sorry
My story.
I'm just a 13 year old girl with no intentions to hurt anyone. And never had any intentions to hurt anyone. I started my myspace in mid-November of 2007. I had kept my profile on private until the summer of '08. I finally loosened up and began to trust the world, but that's where I went wrong. My cousin started dating someone my my age, who just so happened to have a twin. I added my cousins former ex-boyfriend thinking I should get to know him, for my cousins sake. He messaged me and we chatted for only 20 minutes until he brought up his twin brother. I had talked to his twin for maybe 30 minutes before he asked me out. I didn't take this seriously and I had just thought of it as a little summer fun. He had told me he was homeschooled and that he lived maybe 12 miles away. We talked only on the computer for several months. Finally, he started calling me. During this time, I had moved in with my mom....causing me to switch schools and live even closer to him. I was excited! Thinking it would be great. I started my new school year there. His friend started talking to me. She said he wanted her to be nice to me. A couple months later, me and her became best friends. I ended up dating that guy for a year. Last month I broke it off. Because I had never met him. Everytime we planned to go somewhere I got stood up. Though the whole time I was dating him, I was very suspicious. The girl that became my best friend was VERY close to this guy. He gave her notes to bring me every morning to school. He always "tapped" into her phone line to call me. Then he finally gave me his cellphone number, which I had later found out was my best friends moms cellphone number. I was confused. I didn't want to believe it was true. Then my ex-boyfriends friends started making them. They ALL typed exactly alike. I mean EXACTLY. No one has ever met any of them, and I have more to say of how they are alike but I dont really have the time. My point is that during the time taht I was dating this fake person, I cried myself to sleep everynight for months. I started harming myself. ( cutting) I even attempted suicide. Thank god I couldn't go through with it. I don't know how to end this. This girl is making up all these people and I don't know what to do. I don't want anyone else to suffer the pain I went through. Or even go as far as Megan did. I couldn't tell her parents because I have no actual evidence except for everything I explained. I'm still suffering depression. I have finally learned, you can't trust the world.
Anonymous
August 10, 2009 03:29 PM
i took the pledge and i dont think she was fat oranything. she looked like a nice girl. i feel bad. R.I.P. Mgan
Another sad waste of a beautifull girl, full of potential. No-one should have assumed the right to treat her like that, or any other person. I can only hope that she is happy where she is now and that nobody else has to go through what she did. peace <3