Crystal Bowersox tells her own powerful and moving story about the affects of bullying on her life as a young girl.
Read Crystal’s story HERE, and an excerpt after the jump.
At one point, between the stress at home and being the victim of bullies at the public school she attended, it got so bad, she contemplated suicide.
Finally, in her junior year, Crystal transferred to a charter school specializing in the arts and her life improved.
You can watch Crystal tell her story tonight on Anderson Cooper’s town hall special on bullying on CNN at 10 pm.
UPDATE: Watch Crystal talk about her experiences being bullied on tonight’s special Anderson Cooper 360 Town Hall special on bullying
I was often picked on for being poor. My brothers and I were part of the low-income school lunch programs, so our lunches were free. My clothes were never name brand or new, and usually rust stained due to hard water. I remember feeling so proud of myself for making the junior high school swim team, then hassled for attending meets wearing a used Goodwill suit because we couldn’t afford the team ones and gear. In the winter season, I smelled like a camp fire and kerosene because our mother would use anything to heat the house, i.e. kerosene heaters -pluming smoke into the middle of the living room, or old shoes or garbage to stoke the wood-burning stove in the kitchen. My home life was beyond humble. At school, I was punished for it. I was also taunted by a few students for being diabetic. I was diagnosed at the age of 6, so these taunts started early on and were usually based upon fear and/or curiosity. Literally, students used the word, “Diabetic!!” as an insult among sneering and scoffing when I would eat something in class. I later learned to manipulate my health to miss school, because I dreaded being there so, and the hospital felt safer than home.
Crystal Bowersox – Anderson Cooper 360
