To anyone who has ever eaten their lunch in the library because they didn't have a friend alive to sit with in the cafeteria,

To anyone who has ever felt their blood drain straight to their feet when they hear that their friends have been secretly bashing them for weeks without their knowledge,

To anyone who has ever been subject to those cruel whisperings of slut, gay, ugly, fat and so many more,

The situations of bullying might not get better, which goes against the cliché words of any parent or adult on the planet, huh? I don't mean to tell you this to scare you. I don't say it with depressed defeat or cynical resign. As a 19-year-old who is still dealing with the cruel reality of the pain that words can cause, I say this only as the truth. Instances of bullying may not vanish when you go to college or get a job. Whether you are 15 or 50, you may encounter people who will treat your feelings with carelessness, and you may even meet those who wish you pain and go out of their way to inflict it. This may never get better. You will, however, learn to deal with it in a better way. You will learn to find the people in your life who have true character, and they will stand up for you and be there as a support system. You still may find yourself crying in a public bathroom in between classes after a particularly hurtful assault, but I promise that the friend you call from the stall will always mean more than those who harm you.

You've heard it so many times, but you are not alone. 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year. Somehow though, I know that it feels like you're the only one whenever you're crying in your room wishing for nothing but to be liked. When there are vicious rumors about you circulating, when every characteristic and action of yours has been verbally torn to shreds, you probably don't want to just be thought of as a statistic. Take this time when you feel alone to learn to love yourself and your own company. There is no shame in being your own best friend because you're the only person who can always be there for you.

It may seem obvious, but know that you cannot control what others do to you. You can control the person you become, though. No bully can control your future or your success. I have an inkling that it may be your success and positive attributes that make them harass you. It's probably out of jealousy, and they are probably hurting, too. Those who bully others often have very low self esteem and are less fond of themselves than they are of you. They will try to bring you down to their level, but you are responsible for rising above them. And I know that you can and will do it, too.

Finally, it may not help, but I am always in your corner. If you can't find another person out there to support you, I am here rooting for you no matter how far apart we are. Maybe you'll root for me, too. We probably have a lot more in common than you think. You know, maybe if all of us with no friends met each other, we could form our own group. I suppose I don't know you now, though, so this hypothetical group will have to exist only in our minds. It's something though, right? For now, I will be your friend from afar. You will always have the thought of me to hold onto in dark times because I always care, and I truly understand. Hold on for that. Hold on for me. Hold on for the future.

Love Always,

A bullying victim

An anti-bullying activist