Bullied but proud is the title of a website that was launched as Gepestmaartrots.nl in early 2013. Well-known and lesser-known Dutch people talk about how they suffered from bullying and how they fought it out. The website – later converted into a Facebook page with the same title – is a support for anyone who is or has ever been bullied, at school, on the street, at work, as a child or as an adult.
Bullied but Proud
The website Gepestmaartrots.nl will kick off on January 12, 2013. The website – later converted into a Facebook page – wants to start a movement for everyone who has been bullied in the past or is still being bullied. The site is also for anyone who has never been bullied, to show what bullying does to people and to show that intervention is sometimes necessary. The information and stories are even for the bullies, so that they can see the effect of their behavior.
Jamai Loman and Fred van Leer
Jamai Loman and Fred van Leer set up the website to collect as many stories as possible from famous Dutch people and lesser-known people. The stories can be read on the website and can provide support or insight to others. The source of information and stories was well received from the start. Anyone who wants to can tell their story on the Facebook page with the same name: Gepestmaartrots.
Share stories
Sharing stories with others is a large part of the process of achieving awareness, write Loman and Van Leer.
Courage
The two initiators want to use the stories to ensure that people who are bullied learn to realize that things will get better. Loman and Van Leer are convinced of this. It is better to make the bullied realize that things will get better than to tackle bullies. Unfortunately, there will always be bullies. Loman and Van Leer emphatically do not want to focus on that group. It makes more sense to support people who are being bullied. They want to support and motivate. There are too many great examples of people who were bullied as children doing very well later and making a brilliant career. Not only famous Dutch people, but also non-known Dutch people who have escaped the role of victim and who have become happy, serve as an example for everyone who is bullied.
Unlocking stories
To support the confidence that things can end well, stories are unlocked. The collection of stories with examples of bullying behavior can be read by everyone. There are sad stories and funny stories, dirty stories and brave stories. And all stories have a positive ending: the bullied have become strong and know how to cope very well.
Memories of bullying
The memories of the bullied years never completely fade. All people who have ever been bullied know this. It’s unfortunate that bullying ruins part of your childhood. The youthful years are important years. During that period, young people find out who they are and what they want to be. That period should not be interrupted by bullying behavior from others. Sometimes bullying goes completely wrong and young people commit suicide because they can no longer live with it. The suicides of two young people, one after the other, opened the eyes of Loman and Van Leer. Something had to be done, because it cannot be that the only way out of bullying is to kill yourself. They never want to read in the newspaper again that a 15-year-old girl jumped in front of a train.
Be proud of yourself
Fred van Leer and Jamai Loman ask you to join them in being proud of yourself, proud because you have risen from the bullying situation, proud because you now have a nice work environment where you can fully develop, proud of who you have become, despite the wound of bullying.
Fred
Fred van Leer explains at the start of the website in 2013:
“I am Fred van Leer, 36 years old, live in Rotterdam and am a clothing stylist. Am I: bullied? YES. Happy?? YES. That used to be very different; I was bullied every day at school! Why? I had no idea why, but it was made clear to me in a horrible way.”
Jamai
Singer Jamai, known from Idols, tells his story:
“I was scolded and made a complete fool of in front of the whole school, and now I make a fool of myself night after night in a costume in front of a room full of people – all of whom have bought a ticket – and those people are having the evening of their lives. I felt stupid at school and not taken seriously. Now I am in my place, but I realize every day that things could have been different.”
Bullied
The following famous Dutch people tell their stories:
Source: Bullied but proud
- Froukje de Both;
- Daphne Dekkers;
- Mike Weerts;
- Maurice Wines;
- Albert Verlinde;
- Kelly van der Veer;
- Marjolijn Touw;
- Paulien Huizinga;
- Source: You are good
Marlies Dekker;
- Charly Luske.
You Are Good
At about the same time, in early January 2013, two women started an anti-bullying campaign. The two women, who had to deal with bullying in their own environment, wanted to take action after the suicide of a boy. He could no longer cope with life with a lot of bullying. The You Are Good campaign has green wristbands with the text that should make people aware of the influence of bullying behavior on happiness. The wristbands make the topic easy to discuss.
The Gepest maar Trots website has been converted into a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/gepestmaartrots
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