Steve Knows Bullying Can Be Traumatic; This Event Offers Support

Being bullied goes as far back as I can remember. It seems as if there will always be someone to find fault in someone else and use that opinion to hurt others. What is so devastating about that behavior is I was young when those hurtful things were being said to me and it really affected my self-esteem.

My skin didn't look like any other kids' in my school, so that made me a target. I come from a bi-racial family, so that made me a target. I was overweight with a big afro, so that made me a target. I was brought up to turn the other cheek and that made me a very easy target.

I was taunted with slurs like "zebra," "Oreo," and worse—words not fit to write here. I shed too many tears telling my mom about my day when I got home from school and my mom made too many visits to the school to try to get people to change.

My mother felt very frustrated by this repeated bullying. She encouraged me to stand up for myself, and I finally did. The situation escalated to violence. Afterward, I knew we all could have handled the situation differently, but in the moment, we were hurt and at a loss of what else to do. We all carry deep scars from what happened.

That's why I'm happy to hear The Autism Program of Easterseals and the University of Illinois College of Medicine are co-hosting an anti-bullying community gathering. Parents and children will get to meet the Rockford IceHogs and learn why they are promoting bullying prevention throughout our area.

Most importantly, participants will be able to learn about resources that are available to help families prevent and deal with bullying. Here are the basics (You can RSVP to the event on Facebook here):

If you or your family are struggling with bullying or worried about it creeping into your lives, I strongly encourage you to attend and find the resources and support that could make a monumental difference.