Kids & Teens Stand Up to Bullying in Chesaning Michigan

Yesterday we presented our Abuse Bites Anti-Bullying Program to nearly 500 Students in the Chesaning Michigan Middle School. This was just half of the crowd! And it was an awesome time! These students learned how to stand up to bullying.

(Faces are blurred due to FERPA laws)

This is Snickers (below), our 13 year old Fox Terrier/Jack Russel who was a formerly abused/runaway that I rescued 12 years ago. He's the mascot of our program (AKA "The Bully Buster") and an award-winning certified pet therapy dog. Together we've raised over $20,000 for needy/abused people and pets of our community! When I shared his motivating story, the crowd went wild!  Kids loved on him the whole time we were there. (below) Sadly, he is barely getting around these days due to cancerous tumors, but perked up when he knew he was going to an event. 

Kids were very anxious to volunteer for all of our interactive games and demonstrations. My volunteer Amber had a tough job choosing. But everyone had a great time! (below)

We talked about accepting those who are different (gay, obese, those with disabilities). Giving them the freedom to make their own choices and accepting them for who they are. That we don't have to agree with them, but we should never bully them. The fact is, we are more alike than different, if we would really take a close look! The biggest factor is that we all have the same VALUE! (below)

These five boys helped me to put on a bullying skit. The two to my far left were joking/teasing the little guy in the orange, while the boy to my right kind of smirked and watched, while the other boy to my far right simply walked away. Proving that BYSTANDERS can be bullies too if they don't do something to help. (below)

We talked about REPORTING BULLYING versus tattling. Tattling is when you are trying to get someone in trouble, Reporting is when you are trying to get someone out of trouble! And also the four choices you have when bullied. Will you fight back, call 9-1-1 (report it), ask the audience (bystanders/friends for help), or take the 50/50 and run away. (below)

Kids Cheered & Clapped as students raised each card. But I think "Fight Back" won. Although we do fight back, I shared that it is not physically, but it is by standing up for yourself and others, and reporting so you can get the help needed. 80% of students don't report bullying, so therefore nothing is ever done to stop it. (below) 

The students cheered even more, after my son, Jeremiah sang his original song "Just A Shadow". Jeremiah was nearly bullied to death in high school, now he writes and sings songs to help others. (below)

This is Baby Ruth (below), AKA "The Bully" in our program. She was the WORST DOG we ever had, but with love, discipline, and training, she is so much better! We share her story of PAWS FOR CHANGE and how anyone (even the bully) can change with the right help! After all bullying is a behavior, not who a person is!

This is another hilarious game/demonstration we do with kids. Our Dime Game is very popular and shows kids that "pranking someone" can be bullying too. We also share that sometimes those bullying don't realize it's bullying, that's why they have to be told their behavior is wrong. (below)

We try to make our workshops fun, interactive, and educational for everyone--even those we use for our bullying demonstrations! (below)

We talk about good versus bad choices. Here I have a bottle of "dirty water" and a bottle of "clean water". We ask which the kids would drink from. Of course they choose the "clean water". We explain how if something appears to be a little wrong, it's wrong and we shouldn't do it. But if we do make bad choices we will have to drink the consequences. (below)

I use Snickers and his love for GARBAGE as a demonstration. I tell them how many times he's ran away and has gotten into the garbage and comes home later so sick he nearly dies. Then I ask, "Why do we go back to the same garbage friendships and relationships that are bringing us down?"

This is our most popular game. Our hot dog game gets the whole crowd laughing, but it also gives them a visual about PEER PRESSURE, that it's like the blind feeding the blind. I ask them what they should say to Peer Pressure and they all shout "NO!" (below)

We captured these students in the front row! That's what I like the most, if the kids are in, we win! It's all about keeping their attention throughout the entire program. I don't like boring and don't want to do boring. (below)

I know, I'm having way too much fun! This is supposed to be work, right? Love working with kids and interacting in a way that is fun for everyone. (below)

This is just one section of the crowd--even the teachers are laughing hysterically! (below)

Our telephone game is also a lot of fun, while teaching the importance of our words. Words can hurt or heal, so think before you speak! We also talk about SOCIAL BULLYING and how friends spread rumors to ruin other friends or x-friends reputations. (below)

This young man got the first part right "Zip Your Lips". That's pretty good compared to what we usually get. That's how gossip is, you forget what someone told you so you make up your own juicy story to go with it, then others do the same, until its so distorted there isn't much truth in it.

These students came forward and turned their back to the crowd and were labeled with negative words. That's what people often do, put labels on us. We tell them no matter who they are, they are unique, wonderful individuals and there is no one like them. So they removed the labels and everyone cheered! (below)

Nearly all 500 Students made their way to the Gym Floor for our "Change Challenge". We empower targets, bystanders, and bullies to make a change and Be The Change, to stop bullying for themselves and others. (below)

1 out of 7 kids bully others. In our game of Tug O War, our bully stands alone, while 6 other kids are on the other end ready to pull her to her defeat. This teen volunteered to be the bully. When I asked her if she thought she'd win, she said, "NO!" She was right! (Below)

But we don't teach the kids to pull on the rope, we tell them to simply stand together and let go, then the problem will be defeated. Too many times, like her, the victims are singled out. Stand with others to defeat bullying!

Can you imagine if the 160,000 kids that missed school every day for fear of bullying actually stood together against their bully? It would be the biggest CHANGE CHALLENGE YET!

Below is Mr. Jerry Ciarlino, Counselor at the school, ushered the event in. He's such a great guy! It's been a pleasure working with him and all the faculty at Chesaning Middle School! Thanks Jerry!

We'd love to come to your school, church, work place or community to defeat bullying too. Please include us when planning your next event. :) 

Written by: Lisa Freeman, Michigan Anti-Bullying Expert, Advocate & Survivor

CEO of Abuse Bites, Healing Projects Specialist Bully Police USA

Email/Contact Lisa Freeman

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Help Kids Stop Bullying

160,000 kids miss school every day for fear of bullying

1 teen dies every 1/2 hour in the USA from bullying/bullycide

That's why AbuseBites.com CEO Lisa Freeman offers educational workshops to raise awareness, and teach safety, prevention, and healing methods to stop bullying, abuse and violence. Her entire family was bullied in some form, one son nearly bullied to death.

By offering their real life stories of survival along with statistics, and some fun, interactive games, kids, teens, and even adults learn at their level how to defeat the bully without violence, work together as a community, and have a great time doing it!

We don't just put a band-aid on bullying we give kids, parents, educators and everyone everything they need to bring about safer schools, safer kids, and safer families!

Contact Lisa Freeman today @ 989-729-2124 or email @ abusebites@gmail.com

Say No To Peer Pressure

Are You Running To Abuse & Bullying?

It's funny. Or maybe it's not. But all my life I wanted more than anything to be loved, accepted and feel important. Still somehow I always seemed to run in the wrong direction.

Inside I always wanted to do the right thing. But I was sucked in to going along with the crowd so I'd have friends and fit in somewhere.

I was afraid of doing drugs, but everyone in my neighborhood smoked pot. They already thought I did it, so I was cool. Until one day when we were hanging out and they lit up a joint. I was scared to death. When they passed the joint my way I wanted to say no and run home. But I didn't want to look like some dork or be the odd girl out. Yet, my heart pounded like it would explode right out my chest. I just knew if I took a hit I'd die. Still I went along with the crowd.

Another time my supposed BF (best friend--and I use the term FRIEND loosely) and I were shopping. She talked me into stealing. It was scary at first. But I grabbed the pair of earrings and hurried out of the store. Wow! I got away with it! And I got some really nice jewelry for nothing! The next day we did it again. After only a couple weeks I had all this amazing jewelry and I was even ripping off clothes. Everything seemed to be going pretty good. Until one day I was with this same girl in JC Penney's. I had ripped a purse for myself and started walking home, but then she wanted me to go back to the store and get her one too. I didn't have a good feeling about it at all. My gut screamed, "NO!" But she kept pleading and begging, so I went back in, and you guessed it, I got busted. And where was my so called BF while I got a good talking to and threatened that if I ever came back in the store, they'd call my parents, of course she ditched me and took off.

Guys would ditch me too. Oh they'd say they'd love me and that they'd be there for me, but they weren't. As soon as they got what they wanted they'd be gone. Or if they were still around, they were only there to hurt and abuse me.

I'd like to say I got smart and hung out with better people. I didn't. For years I ran to a lifestyle of abuse and let others bully me. It wasn't until much later, as a grown woman, that I learned life is all about choices and I could literally choose friends/relationships that were good and would benefit me, or I could continue to make the poor choices I'd been making.

Basically I was a 7th grade middle school drop out, who suffered through 2 painfully abusive marriages, and became a nothing, but at 26, now a single mother of three I went back to school, got my GED, went onto college where I maintained a 4.0 and made the Dean's List, got a degree in Christian Ministry, and became an Award-Winning Christian Author, Teacher, Speaker, Pet Therapist, and Abuse Advocate. Today I'm running to life and I'm more happy than I've ever been.

It's our choice. We can keep running to bad relationships and a life of abuse or bullying that will bring us down, or we can stop the cycle of abuse and make the choice to run in the right direction--to life and be set free.

I hope you won't have to suffer the way I have. That's why I'm fighting back, by sharing my story through speaking at churches, anti-bullying workshops in schools, and writing books and blogging. By getting this information out there, others can break free too.