My Son Is Being Bullied and I Don't Know What to Do?

Everyone has a boss, go higher than the principal - go to the superintendant - you could even get the police involved if you wanted to - I know at my children's school they are called for any fighting and the children involved are charged.

Be persistent!!!! My son was being pushed around on his way home from school. I sent a letter to the principal and let him know that if something is not done, I would be personally showing up on the door steps of each of the kids bullying him and talking to their parents. I guess it was easier to deal with the kids then to deal with a bunch of angry parents showing up after I showed up at their door. I also made him aware that my son knows self defense and the proper times to use it and that we told him if it was necessary, he may use it. I want my son to protect himself....not start fights. He was educated in karate that you don't fight, so I wasn't worried about him starting fights. That's what worked for me. Good luck and like I said, just keep being persistent.

I cant stand a bully! Kids are so cruel. Only fight when needed. This will pass..... :( ... Just wait till they get older.. I have my hands full as a single mother of 3 teens!
Just keep on loving and telling him he is the man!

I echo the mama who said to take it to the superintendent of schools. School should be a safe place..this should NOT be happening. It impedes a child's ability to learn, let alone their self-esteem and ability to socialize.
I would start documenting incidents so you have something concrete to present the super. I would also let the principal know you are intending to do this, so they know you aren't trying to go behind their back, but you ARE going to get this resolved for your child's sake.
Hugs and prayers to you...I know its hard to see your child get hurt like this!

Hi,
Before I became a stay at home mom I taught fifth grade. I am a little surprised that no one has taken this seriously. I would take it the highest person in the school system that can. Document everything!!! Maybe after you have already taken it as high as you can go and still nothing has been done to help your son, threaten to sue the school district. Ofcourse seek leagal advice first to be you have a case. Where I worked there was a bully policy and if it was happening repeatedly after trying to stop it, the bullies were then expelled from school. Your other option is to take it to your local media. If you don't want to go these routes then pull your son out of school. Put him into another school, or even home school if that would be a good fit for your family. Don't sit back and take nothing for an answer. This is not okay and can damage your son in more ways than one for the rest of his life. Being a victim of bullying myself when I was younger I'm still dealing with the pain to this day. I just hope I can overcome some of my own fears before my children start school. Please do it for your son. If it is really as bad as you say, then do something about it. I know you have tried but sometimes it takes a little more effort. If the principal is somehow related that shouldn't matter. She still has a responsibility, and in that case I would certainly go to her boss. Just keep going as high as you can until something happens. Good Luck to you, and make sure your son knows that he is loved and there isn't anything wrong with him in any way.
C.

I say complain everyday if necessary and if you saw it confront them. Nothing is more important than our kids and we need to let them know that we support them. My daughter had some problems with some girls in school and she told me no one would do anything about it. At a meeting with her teachers I reported it and was informed that it was noticed and was being taken care of. She never complained of them again and that was 4 years ago.

First of all, I cannot understand why the schools do not discipline children. I come from South America and I was a student, too. I had to obey my teachers and the authorities of the school. Otherwise, you could be end up out of the school. I personally think you have to be able to defend yourself in any circumstance. Bullies are everywhere along people life. It seems you have being ignored by what supposed to be the authorities and teachers . Obviously, your son is a young boy and he is probably more frustrated than you about this matter. If I were you, I will keep a record of my approaches to the school staff and teach my child how to fight back and defend himself. Teach him how to be smatter than the bullies. Bullies are trying always to put others down. Teach him how to challenge the bullies in a way they will not bother him anymore. This is how I acted in a case like this.

Good luck and always stand beside your child.

you should take 0 tolerence to these kids doing that to your son. It is heart breaking. my son was new to his school last year and my father died and he was very very close to him and he had to deal with a bully all in the same time. The bully wouldnt let anyone be friends with him. My husband and I threatend the school. We also were going to go to who ever was higher up in the school besides the principal who really wasnt any help at all. I also threatened we would go to the news about bullying not being stopped and the school is supposed to also have 0 tolerence. We also have lawyers in the family who also wrote a letter to the parents and school if it didnt stop. It did and he has the whole school as friends. What does it have to take? Someone to really get hurt or the one who is bullied to freak out and get in trouble because it is getting worse or hurt someone because of it! You need to put your foot down and do some threatening, dont let your precious son feel like he is worth nothing because of it. If you take action it will get better, it may take time but it will get better. I hope I helped and hope he will be in happiness soon.

Oh, this makes me sooooo mad because I feel your pain!!! My son is in 2nd grade (age 8) and has had so many problems in his public school this year. I signed him up for karate last year and took him out because he was so tired from going 3 x's a week. Big mistake! We should have left him in and will put him back in as soon as we get settled into our new home! They teach you not only self defense but self esteem. Their was all walks of life in his class and the kids were a "great support system" for him! We had went as far as to enroll my kids into Christian school until we decided to move. My childs stomach gets upset every day and he cries asking how I could send him to this school? It's a scary world out there today and when you don't feel safe sending your child to school we all have to pull together and fight this! I'd be interested in hearing other Mom's stories on this subject myself! I do not want to home school because I don't want to teach him at this young age to run from his problems yet I want him to be safe! Plus, I'm a stay at home mom now but what if I HAD to go to work. Then what would we do? I will send him back to karate for starters then see how his new school is. If you need to talk, I'm here for you! ____@____.com I'll be praying for you! L.

"The Bully, the bullied, and the bystander" by Barbara Coloroso will help. It talks about the victim getting blamed b/c they've had enough and fight back but can't play the game like the bullies can.
Your Principal/cousin is in a tough spot. You can help her by writing down everything that has happened(EVERYTHING). Submit it to her with the written request for a resolution with the parents and teachers involved. You may want to meet with her privately(off site) and ask her what you need to do to push this so that it isn't on her. There was a kid w/ a problem in my kids class. I asked the teacher off property what could be done and she said her hands were tied but if parents started writing letters they could take to administration and the kid's parents then they would be compelled to do something. It worked!

What it sounds like is he is being harrassed. I thought that most schools had the zero tolerance stand when it came to that. Hararssment is a crime and punishable by law. If it is definitely the same set of kids most of the time I would let the school know that if they continue to do nothing about it you will go to the police, DA whoever and have charges pressed against those people. Also add the fact that there might be a hint of racism in there no school wants the scandal. You do what you have to do to protect your children and while making calls everyday might seem pointless, eventually someone will listen and get the problem fixed even if it is only to get you to stop calling. Good luck and tell your son not to worry, he's just fine the way he is. Be proud of who you are becaus in the end it's not what you have the you are judged on but the things you have done.

First off, Related or not, this is your son! Honey, listen to all these wonderful mom,here. You call every day, make it a point that you will NOT tolerate this! SHame on that principal who cannot make an effort to deal with this. It's obvious that she cannot do her job (again-related or not). EVERYONE has a boss , her included. If you're not being heard than take it to the higher up.
As for your son, tell him to be strong! Fight if necessary, walk away from nonsense. His message is getting spoken through his actions. **** Remeber one thing ---THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE BIGGER AND BETTER THAN ANOTHER. It's a very trying time. Keep the faith.

Be strong!

Mom of 4.

Honestly I would change schools. It doesn't sound like anything you do is going to help there. After his out of that school then go to the school board and complain. Unfortunetly you have to make a big stink to get anything done with the schools. I'm so sorry your all going through that.

Since you are not getting any help from the principal I would go to her supervisor, the school district superintendent, and explain the whole situation, including that you are concerned that the principal doesn't want to be involved because of the relation. Normally I would suggest just trying to work with the principal on this one, but since you are getting no help from her I would definitely go over her head. Sometimes you really have to fight for what your child needs.

This is really upsetting. I am sorry that your son is going through this. Have you heard of Bullies To Buddies? Its an excellent resource for situations such as this: http://www.bullies2buddies.com/ . You could alert the school administration to this program, as it is being used in schools. My kids' school has an anti-bully system, 3-strikes and you're "out" - it really is a theme throughout the school an in every classroom. I agree with others - change schools if you're in a system that is unwilling to implement changes.

Remind your son that the people who are mean are doing it because they are sad, and feel bad about themselves. Try to reitterate that those kids are probably not treated well by a sibling or a parent at home, and they might be taking out their anger and frustration on others.

GL,

Meg

I understand what you're going through. Not totally the same situation but similiar. You are doing everything that I have done. I do believe your son fighting back is important. A family member whose a retired counselor and trained others about school age bullying said the same, they must learn to fight back when appopriate. Also helping your son build an alliance with his own friends is also important, a group where he feels liked and appreciated. Keep up on the school and teachers. Good Luck! And I know your heart goes out to your son, it just sucks to see them in pain!!!

OH my gosh...that sounds so HARD! I don't have any experience with anything like this, so I have no good advice, but I just wanted to offer my support. It sounds like you are doing a great job with him, and by yourself too. I admire your strength of character and your active part in keeping him safe, healthy, and happy. I wish you the best.

Unacceptable. If you have no luck with in the school, go to the school board & PTA. You can not let this bring your son down. Maybe talk with the PTA about making your school no place for hate. ( http://www.adl.org/npfh_philadelphia/ ) Our entire township and some surrounding have adopted this practice.
And I would go to administration as well. As a mom you have every right to make your child's life as easy as possible. Do you know these kids? Maybe you can talk to their parents or even them. Worse case, go to the police if you get nowhere.
Good luck.

E., First off I am sorry to hear that your son has to go through this. As a parent we are responsible to build our childrens self estem and confidence. Enroll him in a karate class or kick boxing class. I know from a friends child that this works wonders for a childs self estem and confidence. Also look and see if your church has a jr youth group that your son can join. Surround him with postive activities where he can met people from an outside source away from your neighborhood and his school. Once his self estem is build up he will be better able to deal with the name calling and rejection. You really have to stay on top of the school if the principal still reacts in the same manor take it to the superintendent letting the principal know that is your intention. (if you are worried about the principals reaction tell her you felt she was to personally close to the the people to deal with the situation). I wish you both lots of luck and hope before he gets too depressed that you can find the good people in life to uplift your son.

I am very sorry to hear this. It is unfortunate that bullying is put to the back burner so much these days. My daughter was also bullied. No one (principal, teachers, or the child's parents) did anything about it, and the other child, if punished would only lose 15 minutes of recess. I used the "I will call the police the next I hear or see this happening" card. I would, also, get a child advocate. Anyone who can help you and your child will be a huge benefit when you go and talk to someone at the school. Make some noise. They cannot keep ignoring you. Remember you are your child's biggest and best advocate. You just may need a little more help. And if I were you, I would document everything. From the bullying and what happened, even how your son reacted to that, people you've talked to, what they said, the dates this happened, if you had someone else there to speak with you; keep all of this on record. It will come in handy if this bullying does not stop. Do not give up!!! Keep in mind, in most cases bullying only escalates. You have everyone here who has written to you behind you. You and your son will be in my prayers.

E.,
My heart aches for you and for your son. I agree that you may need to take it to the next level. Maybe the superintendent. Des the school have a written policy on bullying? Is it possible to switch schools? I'm sorry I don't have more experience to offer you any more solutions. I find it appalling that you even had to post an issue like this--I'm so sorry the school isn't cooperating with you. Can you talk more to your son about tolerance and acceptance? Maybe a change in his perception would cause them to just leave him alone. Good luck to you and to your son.

Hi E.. I know what you are going though. I have had to deal with name calling/bulling with two of my children (usually around 4-5th grade). So you have been nice? You have followed all the school guidelines? Related or not, now you get nasty. You need to step up and get mean...tell your son's teacher and principal that you are not going to stand by while your child is being tormented!! Either they can get off their collective behinds and DO something about it or you will!! If you need to sail right over their heads and go to the District Offices. Talk to the director of Student Servies or Elementary Education. Talk to the Supertendant. Tell them that your child deserves and you demand a safe, torment free education enviroment! Tell them about all the conversations you have had with whomever so far (I hope you have documented them) and that you expect things to change at once for you child. Tell them to consider your son's record of good behavior, grades etc. and ask they why they think that suddenly everything has changed....isn't that enough of an indicator that there is a problem? Tell them that you have wittnessed events. Talk to your son's friends and their parents...ask them if they have wittnessed other events and would be willing to write it down or can you tell the school about the fact that they have witnessed events (and would be willing to talk about it.) STAND YOUR GROUND AND DON'T LET THEM DOUBLE TALK YOU AND BRUSH YOU OFF!! If they say they are going to "look into it" get a date when you can call them back...like "okay, look into it and I'll call you back in one week on (fill in a date here.) and we will contiune this discussion and find a solution then. Then make sure you follow up. Also you might want to tell your son what I have always told my daughters...Don't start anything, but if someone touches you...you have my permission to defend yourself and finish it. (I don't know about your school district, but in ours if there is a fight both kids get suspended.) It's hard, and it sucks to watch your child go through this knowing that you are dependant on other people to do their jobs correctly to protect your son. But after following all their guidelines sometimes you just gotta get mad and a bit mean. I followed all the rules and ended up actually almost screaming at my daughter's 4th grade teacher! I told her I'd have her job and pull my child right the ____ of of that _____ school if she was incapable of controling the children in her classroom and protect my child from harrassment. And believe me I didn't do that lightly as both of my parents were teachers!! My heart goes out to you and your family, I know this isn't easy. Tell your son to hang in there just a bit longer...next year will be better! Good luck & best wishes.

My niece was bullied a couple of years ago. She was a little older than your son (13), but the only solution ended up being a meeting between my niece, the girls bullying her, the parents of all involved, and the principle. It ended up being a mediation type of thing rather than a punitive one. The key for her, however, was having a principal willing to believe the bullying might be going on. If you can at least convince your son's principal to be open-minded enough to have this meeting, then hopefully at least some of the truth will be out in the open. And if the bullies' parents are aware of what's going on, that may help as well. Good luck. I feel awful for both of you.

I am the President of the Parent-Teacher association at my kid's elementary school. We have a strong Anti-Bully Program. Does it work? I think no. Teacher's are chalking up offenses as "Kids being kids." I have gone to the principal and she tries but without teacher support it's for naught. Call the administrators and tell them you are getting no help. My child has gone through times of being bullied and I, and I don't recommend this, called the parents. Many times the parents have no idea their kids act like this and are horrified by the thought. I was lucky both times to get understanding parents. If your school doesn't have an anti-bully program, offer to start one. Get involved.If you can, help at the school. If you see it, say something. you are the parent and have every right to protect your child, especially of no one else is.

Good luck.

I say it's about time to put your foot down with these people....if it's going to continue...call a lawyer and see if you need legal advice....or go to the Superintendent of your school district....all the schools that I know of around here are a "Bully Free" zones....I hope you can get someone to listen. Good Luck.

Hi E. - I'm sorry your son is being bullied and I don't have direct advice about that. One thing you can do is reaffirm that YOU love him, that HE HAS value as a human being. That the people bullying him are the ones that feel more worthless (and try to make themselves feel better by belittling someone else). I was bullied in elementary school myself. He's in a tough situation because if he walks away he gets teased .. if he fights he gets in trouble .. it's IMPOSSIBLE to ignore bullies .. because they are EXPERTS at pushing buttons and pulling strings. Is there an alternative in terms of a different school? Does his father provide child support? Would he be willing to help pay for a private school? Explore the options and don't forget to let your son know that you are behind him 100% ,, Good luck!

I'll start off by saying you did the right thing by reporting the bulling to the school and principal and since she or they haven't done anything yet but your son keep getting in trouble what you should now do is be very proactive in getting incident reports taking so you can have something to reference at a later time,also bullying is really against the law or at least school ethics so maybe if you filed bullying charges on the children who are doing it maybe the parents will be forced to handle their children even the principle if she isn't at least investigating the bullying you should get an incident report on her too......once you have enough reports to go file them with the school district and attorney's office if for nothing else everyone involved will get some kind of education about bullying as it really is a serious offense..

good luck!!!!
K. C

Hi.

I have a very low tolerance for this kind of behaviour. I suggest you get a lawyer to write a letter to the principle stating that you are looking into the legal aspects of having the school and the district together with those children's parents prosecuted for harasment if this is not taken more seriously. Don't allow them to bully you too. You need to kick up a stink if you want to be heard now days. you have tried it the polite what now it is time to play hardball. Remember your child depends on you to protect him. It is your job as a parent. Also i suggest getting your son involved in some sort of martial arts like karate, cung fu or something similar as it will teach him to defend himself and have more confidence in himself. Also if your son gets into trouble for defending himself you go in and tell the principle that you will not repremand him for defending himself and that you believe your child as you have no reason to do otherwise. Explain that you do not appreciate him being persecuted for defending himself that is his right, she is obveously not doing her joy otherwise he would not have to resort to defending himself. Good luck and remember that bulling is never to be taken lightly and you should fight for your child.

I'm so sorry! I know exactly how you are feeling because I have lived through the same situation. My oldest son was "pickable" as his then-principal described him in the 4th and 5th grade. He definitely was behind the curve when it came to socialization. He was outgoing, but awkward, nerdy, and immature. He was indeed an easy target, because he was socially one of the weakest kids in the class. I was lucky to be a SAHM, and I volunteered at the school. I personally witnessed some of the things that were happening to him. I was friendly with the playground aides and lunch ladies, who also witnessed bullying, and backed me up with the school administration. I have to say that was a great advantage in dealing with the situation. I was called in for many teacher meetings. These were meetings that I was led to believe would be with just the teacher. When I arrived, I'd find that it was me at a table with a teacher or two, the school counselor (a recent college grad -- how much experience did she have??), the principal, and whoever else they'd want to bring in. In that situation, just me with all of them, I felt bullied myself! I was told at several meetings that my son was "pickable" and that they wanted to find out why other kids wanted to pick on him. My response was, "I don't care if he has a 'Kick Me' sign on his back. The other kids shouldn't pick on him.!" I seemed to be getting nowhere.

Finally, this is what I did. I decided that *I* needed to be the proactive one. I started calling for and even demanding meetings. I documented everything and I was present everywhere. I was at the school for drop-off. I was at the school at pick-up time and walked right to the classroom. I was told I couldn't do that, and I informed the principal that I couldn't trust the school administration to keep my child safe, since he had been bullied and hit many times. I volunteered for just about everything at the school, so that I could be there. Through that, my child felt that I was on his side. Without me as his advocate, he felt very much abandoned by the adults at school. My stance with the principal was that even if they felt they were acting in his best interest, the result was that he felt unsafe, and that his teachers and principal didn't like him and thought that the bullies were getting the advantage. They needed to change his perceptions, because true or not, it was damaging him. I also found other parents whose children were having problems with the same bullies at school. We all documented the bullying, came to school, and met with the principal and even the superintendent.

In the end, the situation was never resolved to my satisfaction. I have to admit that the very large school district we live in was like a machine. They had formulas for dealing with certain situations. When my child fell into Situation A, for example, they just plugged him into their policy and action plans. When those action plans did not work for my particular child, they'd just repeat the same action again. But there was no creativity and no concern for the individual.

In the end, we moved our child to a small parish school. He started as a new kid in a 6th grade class in a school where there was one classroom per grade. The other students there had been together since 1st grade, so being the new kid was really a heavy experience. There was some teasing at first, but the school dealt with it very creatively, because they saw my son as a person. The principal at the new school understood the situation. She told me, and I will never forget her words, "Your son has been traumatized because he felt abandoned. He will NOT be abandoned here. We'll watch very closely and we'll all work together to heal this situation." And they did.

I'm sorry, I rambled. It was a very tough time for me as a mother. I feel very passionate about this situation. The end result: The principal at my son's original school is still on the job. Bullying is still an issue, and parents are still complaining. Why nothing is done, I do not know. But documenting everything, being an advocate for your child, being present as much as possible, meeting with everyone involved, and working hard for your child is a MUST. You have to do it! If everything fails, then another school may be your only option.

My son is 20 now, and it wasn't long ago that we sat talking about that situation long ago. I knew that it was an ugly time, but I really didn't know the complete depths of his pain. He tells me now that he was so depressed at the time, that he had even thought of suicide! He even made plans and wrote suicide notes! Sitting there with my wonderful, accomplished, beautiful grown up son, I burst into tears! I absolutely was oblivious to how badly he felt when this was all going on. I knew he wasn't happy, but suicidal -- no. I had no idea. My son tells me today, that if he hadn't seen me working so hard for him, he might have actually killed himself. But he knew that he was loved, and he knew that eventually, I'd get it sorted out. Can you imagine how emotional that is? My son said to me, "Mom, you saved my life." To think that it was that bad and that I had no idea at the time just tears me apart even now.

So, do whatever you need to do, but make this THE priority in your life now. Every day, do everything that you have to do to help your child. Show him that you are on his side. That will help to build him up. I know for my son, it also helped build his self-esteem to be involved in things outside of school, with different kids. For him, boy scouts was the ticket. He had amazing leaders and didn't have to be particularly athletic, have straight A's, or be the most popular kid around to be accepted. That's what he needed most; to feel accepted and safe. If your son is into music, art, science.... whatever he's interested in, get him involved in something outside of school that he will enjoy and that will build him up. Support him and help him get through this as you work to resolve the school issues.

I wish I had better ideas. I remember when my oldest, who was chronically overweight, was in 3rd grade, and she had no friends because we had just moved. Her cousin went to the same school, and she told the kids she only played with my daughter because her mom "made her". The next year we moved to a different town, because I got remarried (I'd been a single mom for 5 years), and things went better there. But even then, I worried. She was always smart, so my questions at teacher conferences were largely around her social ability. I know she had some tough times, but her 4th grade teacher really liked her, and he helped the class to begin to see her value.

I haven't had to deal with real bully issues, but our youngest was getting called names a whole lot. I tried to give her words to turn the nastier things around. Later when I asked her how it was going, she said, "Oh, today they started calling me a Smarty, and I figured it was a good thing to get called smart."

i don't really know how to get through it without pain and suffering, but my oldest is still way overweight. On the other hand, she was chubby since birth, and I was a chubby kid, so I tried to teach her that being chubby didn't mean she couldn't be in shape. We exercised together from her age 5 on. We skied, we swam, we climbed mountains -- which she HATED.

Now she is an educator on a tall ship. (and yes, she climbs the rigging, and yes, she goes into the headrig) She taught outdoor education after college, for the YMCA in Michigan, taught kids on the high ropes course, taught swimming lessons, (she's a lifeguarding instructor), and this winter has taught high school English Lit and Creative writing on a tall ship in the Caribbean. wow.

When you first look at her, you would say, "Wow. she's fat. what can she do?" But she can do it all. And she's developed a self-confidence by doing and succeeding.

So, while I have no real clue how to deal with the bullies, I do know that you can work on the other end, and try to involve him in activities that he will enjoy. Having been a swimming instructor myself, I would encourage him to learn to swim. It's a very individual sport, but it's also alot of fun, and the bigger the person, the more bouyant. :-) So they learn to float faster, and playing in the pool is great fun. If you can encourage him to work toward swimming some laps, by swimming alongside with him (any stroke), then he will be getting exercise, too, at his own pace.

I don't know where you live, but there are a number of programs in our area (Erie County, PA) for summer theatre stuff for kids. It gives them a chance to do something fun, to learn to express themselves and to participate in a group endeavor at whatever level they can -- props, acting, etc. It's an opportunity to do something different, learn new skills, and hopefully enjoy a different group of kids. North East has a childrens theatre thing every August -- it's a half day program, I think, for 2 weeks, that culminates in a performance. Erie does something big, too, and last year put on "Singing in the Rain". the program in NOrth East is easy, the kids get to be on stage, and it's cheap summer daycare !!

Anything you can do to help him to learn new skills that he can be proud of will help him to earn self-esteem. And he knows what it's like to have other kids hurt you, so my guess is that he would be very helpful to other kids who are being hurt by the school social scene .. . . So while this time period is horrible for him and for you, you may find that as he grows through it, he will become everyone's favorite big brother -- that he will have adopted a bunch of kids he cares about who really need to be cared for.

We have friends who had a child that was kind of big, and the dad started taking judo with his son. They've moved on, and I can't remember what kind of martial art it is that the son is doing, but he came in 3rd in the nation last year !! wowee !! If he stays healthy and continue to excel, he may find his way to the US olympic team 4 years from now. And he still isn't your thin, good looking, popular looking type of kid. But he's a high school kid with a focus and a passion for doing something that he excels at. (I think it was judo they started with, because it didn't require firm, strong muscles. It worked with body dynamics, and both dad and son became successful at it. Dad, by the way, is not in shape. But he can still do it !!)

If you can build posiive experiences for your child, they will compete with the negative ones, and it will help the negative ones not to control his view of himself. If he does something interesting, and gets excited about it, he will end up having opporunities at school to share the experiences, and those opportunities will lead to him gaining the respect of his peers.

Our church is involved in camping, as well. My youngest goes to Camp Judson, for a week, and it's a great experience. There's archery, horseback riding, swimming, boating, there's a climbing wall, and it's a very positive environment. It's a Christian Camping experience, so the staff would not allow bullying to occur, and they would lovingly try to help your son believe in himself. Again, it's in Erie county, PA, and at www.campjudson.com. Sending your child to camp can be "over the top" for a single mom's budget. But, if you are sneaky and come to our church, we pay half for any child who attends our church to go. And then, if you can't pay the diffrerence, you can let the pastor know, and the church will pay the whole thing. We just believe in positive camping experiences for kids -- and we share ownership of the camp with other area churches, so we are doubly commited to it. (my daughter is 12 and is going to wrangler camp for the 2nd time. It focuses on horseback riding. But they have other great programs, too.)

And, btw, if you want to see my eldest, now a huge success, she's on the crew pageof "www.spiritoceanadventure.com". You'll pick her right out, because she's not your thin athletic looking type -- but you will immediately see her joy for life, and hardly notice her size.

(she, by the way, bullied her younger sister something fierce as a pre-teen, so I assume she was bullied more than I know at school.)

Feel free to write to me personally through this site, and I'll try to help you find positive opportunities for your son in the North East area, if I can. In the meantime, your love for him will, in the long run, be the biggest factor in building his successes. And I can tell you love him !! So hang in with him. Don't give up, and don't give up on the reality that even the bullies can change.

barb