Sunday, March 25, 2001

By Richelle Turner Collins
Stars and Stripes

WÜRZBURG, Germany — Bullies are often seen as cool students who talk mean and corral others into following them. They can end up as peer leaders, setting fashions and group agendas, and deciding who is "in" or "out."

But some Würzburg Middle School students say they know the real side of bullies, and they tell you just what they think of people who pick on others.

"They think they are all that, but they are not," said K.J. Henderson, 13, an 8th-grader at Würzburg Middle School.

Daron Fleming, 13, added, "They try to bully people because they are bigger than you."

But he suggests the best way to frustrate them is to just walk away.

Kristin English, 14, agreed.

"They are mean, and they just pick on you because they have nothing better to do," she said.

Kristin, an 8th-grader, has been bullied before. She was picked on because she was a twin.

The bullies would say all sorts of things to her, just to get on her nerves.

"It wasn’t fun," she said.

The bullying has stopped, but the memories remain. Kristin tells others to walk away from bullies and ignore their taunts.

"Then tell a grown-up or a friend and let them help you," she said.

Erica Williams, 13, said she has never been bullied, nor has she bulled others.

But she did want to talk about those who do.

"They only pick on kids because they don’t have friends to hang around with," Erica said.

She recommends that students avoid bullies by minding their own business.

"Don’t talk junk to anybody," she said.

Then she warned, "They will probably beat you up."

(Back to main story on bullies)

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