Imagine your classmates being so hurtful and cruel? This level of manipulative bullying creates so much emotional turmoil to overcome, it’s not surprising that many teens end up hurting themselves or taking their own lives. Whitney considered it, she told NBC, “I had actually reached a point where I had thought about suicide for how bad this case was. I thought I wasn’t worthy at Ogemaw Heights at all.”

Fortunately Whitney didn’t give in. Something pretty amazing happened. When her town found out about how crappy these kids were, they collectively took a stance against bullying. They set up a Facebook page, with over 33,000 likes now, to show their support. The townspeople and local business decided to sponsor Whitney’s entire prom experience. They got her a gorgeous new dress, professional makeup, photos, shoes, a tiara, and when she is crowned during the half-time game they will all wear orange–her favorite color–and cheer her on.

The school wouldn’t talk about the issue, so it’s unclear if any of the students will be held accountable. However, punishment is so not the point here. What’s amazing about this story is that Whitney’s struggle wasn’t overcome by punishment or revenge. It was handled with the compassion, empathy and praise of her community. It wasn’t a zero tolerance policy against bullying that turned her experience around, it was real solidarity. No matter how malicious a few people are there are a ton more who really care. This is an important lesson to remember. Those people out there who want to make you feel like crap probably won’t ever change (or at least not for a long time) don’t try to appease them or conform for them. Find the people out there who love and support you, in spite of all the haters.

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What do you think of Whitney’s story? Have you ever been bullied? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re having regular run ins with your local mean girl, or worse, mean girls, then you know how crappy it can feel to be bullied. Meg’s here to help you out. She has tips on how to protect yourself from bullying, where to get help, and how to put the bullying in perspective. Watch and remember, this bullying won’t be forever. Take care of yourself and get the help you need.

Have you ever been bullied or are you being bullied now? How do you deal, and what do you think could help the situation? Tell us in the comments!

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