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To a stranger, Caine Smith looks like a happy little boy: he goes to school every day, rides his fold up scooter and likes to read Harry Potter and play video games in his spare time. But in spite of appearances, he has few friends and is constantly bullied at school.
He could have told a teacher about what he’s going through, but instead he chose to put his thoughts into writing, and came with an inspiring message for Texas’ Birdville Independent School District: “You have the power to make the changes.” Caine, who had long thought he was helpless, went to a school board meeting and presented his story before a visibly humbled audience.
His brave initiative was featured on a Bully Project documentary, where he revealed that he is threatened, abused physically and verbally, thrown against the wall, choked and ridiculed almost on a daily basis. His story is shared by thousands, if not millions of kids who are living through a similar ordeal, and feel like they’ve got no one to turn to.
Unfortunately, although efforts are being made to raise awareness about school bullying, many children are still missing adequate support from their families, friends and teachers.
Bully Project is social action campaign that strives to take bullying awareness a step further. So far, it has managed to reach over 2 and a half million American children. Its goal is to work with children, parents, teachers and social advocates to build a national movement and eventually see an end to bullying.
For help, visit The Bully Project.
It's harder whenever there is a bigger group. Uhm...
Pretty much a big day for me would be people leaving their hands off me.
One day I was shoved in the boroughs several times until my head ached, and then the guy walked away laughing, saying I sound like a little girl.
Choked, uhm... drawned up against the wall, punched.
Never had real friends that stick around and help me at all. Most of my friends were just the people that get called names, but even them, they started to call names to me.
Gaming actually really helps me a lot uhm... to calm down and get out of the troubling uhm... parts of my life... And to uhm... clear my mind of the things that happened.
It's like going to a different universe.
I wish to fly without the ++++ to hold me up. And I like Harry Potter and I wish I could do magic. I'd zipped everybody's lips, and all the rude people's lips.
I think they just really think I'm different and they can pick on me just because I am. They want me to change who I am. I feel like that a lot but I-I can't change who I am.
I feel like me speaking out may encourage other kids to uhm... do the same and uhm... speak out and uhm... rise up and help each other out to get rid of bullying.
+++++++ My name is Caine Smith and I am a ++++ student.
These past years have been difficult. I have been through daily harassment, repeated offenses get me both +++ and physical. Not a days goes by where I am not pushed, punched or called "fag". You have the power to make changes. You have the power to fix this.
Every day in your school, civil rights are violated, children – your children, are violated in many ways. Not a lot of them are fortunate enough to have the support of their families, not many of them are even strong enough to speak out about what is happening to them. So here I am, Caine Smith, standing before you on behalf of those students. How will you fix this? What changes will you make to ensure we all feel safe in your schools?
WHENEVER= Every time that
PRETTY MUCH= (coll.) Mostly.
LEAVING THEIR HANDS OFF ME= Not touching me; not hitting me.
SHOVED= Pushed.
BOROUGHS= Away from the city centre.
ACHED= Hurted, felt in pain.
GUY= (coll.) Boy, man.
CHOKED= If you are choked, they stop your breathing and you suffocate (for some time or until you die).
DRAWNED= Dragged, carried/pushed away by force.
PUNCHED= If you are punched, they hit you with their closed fist.
STICK AROUND= Stay there, not go away.
AT ALL= We use this phrase to emphasize negatives or questions.
- I don’t like it at all = I really don’t like it
- Is she happy at all? = Is she happy? (I really doubt it, or I show I really have no idea)
GET CALLED NAMES= Are insulted.
GAMING= Playing games.
CALM DOWN= Relax.
HARRY POTTER= A famous novel hero turned into a movie. He is a teen magician.
WISH= We use WISH + Past Tense to express a wish, what we would like to happen.
- I wish a had more friends.
ZIPPED= (figuratively) To zip is to close using a zip (see picture)
RUDE= The opposite of POLITE.
PICK ON ME= Make fun of, mock, insult me.
ENCOURAGE= Give support and energy.
KIDS= (coll.) Children.
SPEAK OUT= Say something in public, let people know.
RISE UP= Defend your rights (or somebody’s rights) in public.
HELP... OUT= Help.
GET RID OF= Eliminate, throw away.
BEEN THROUGH= To be through something is to live a bad experience.
DAILY= Happening every day.
HARASSMENT= Bad treatment (physical and/or psychological)
OFFENSES= Bad actions or words that hurt other people.
NOT A DAY GOES BY WHERE I AM NOT...= (formal) I am... every day.
FAG= (coll. insult) Homosexual.
FIX= Repair, make it good again, stop the problem.
VIOLATED= If a law or a right is violated, it is broken, ignored. If a person is violated, their rights are broken (“violate” may also mean “rape”, to attack somebody sexually, but not here).
ON BEHALF OF= Representing.
ENSURE= Make sure.
For help, visit The Bully Project.
Official → Cool
