Short Summary:

"You're fat."                           "You're gay." 
                       "You're ugly."                          "You suck!"

                                    Have you been bullied?
Pretty much everyone has, but how that turned out for you depends on your self-esteem. Confident kids shrug it off, laugh it off, or dish it back. Kids who are unsure of themselves, who lack confidence, will get upset, cry or run away. Those behaviors almost guarantee that you’ll be bullied again. And, once you see yourself as a victim, the bullies seem to come out of the woodwork.  #bullybackoff

I was bullied when I was a kid. I was a victim. And, from age 5 to 14, I suffered dozens of verbal and physical attacks. I eventually learned how to deal with bullies, but it took me years to learn.

Today, it is my goal to teach as many elementary school aged kids as possible how to deal with bullies. Why elementary school? Because the sooner a kid learns to stand up to bullies the better. Bullying doesn’t go away with childhood; it follows you into adulthood. It never goes away, until you make it go away.

I’m Rob Wilson; I’m the author of the humorous children’s novel, The Annoying Ghost Kid. It’s about a boy and a girl who are bullied by a ghost. Most bullies must wait until there are no adults around before they can attack. The ghost-bully, however, has the power of invisibility which enables him to attack his victims in the classroom - right under the teacher’s nose! The kids have no one to turn to, so they have to figure out how to deal with the bully on their own.

As the author of The Annoying Ghost Kid, I am invited into many schools to make an “Author Visit.” As part of my presentation I talk about bullies and how to deal with them. I show the kids two easy-to-remember and simple-to-use techniques for fending off verbal and physical attacks. These techniques not only stop the bullies, but they begin the process of building self-esteem and self-confidence in the victims.

Here’s how you can help: the kids love my program; so do the teachers, librarians, counselors and principals at the schools. My presentation is fun, funny, informative and interactive (I have the kids practice the techniques). Here’s the problem: there are many schools that would like me to visit, but they can’t afford it. When you sponsor me, I’ll be able to teach thousands of kids how to deal with bullies - how to live free from fear!

Here's a clip from my presentation:

What We Need & What You Get

Schools learn about my program in one of two ways: word of mouth from a parent or a teacher, or I send them an email telling them about it. Both of these methods have a created a lot of interest in my program, and many schools want me to visit. I was surprised, however, to learn that many schools do not have the funding to bring me in.

Here is my goal: I am starting out with a modest request of $5000. For that amount I can visit up to 20 schools (depending on how much the schools contribute). Of course, the more I raise the more schools I can visit and the more kids I can help learn how to deal with bullies. Please be generous - I really want to help as many kids as possible learn how to stand up to a bully, so that they can go through life without fearing mean people.

(NOTE: on the scale of fees from other authors who visit schools, I am on the low end of the spectrum. I am also a professional speaker to adult audiences and what I charge schools is less than 10 percent of what I charge associations and corporations. For each school I deliver 2-3 presentations which run up to 45 minutes in length, I discount my books to less than half what they would normally pay, autograph and personalize them for each student. Plus, other services that meet the needs of particular schools. My point is that for a nominal fee, I offer a great value.)

Here’s what I want to give you for all of your help (see how to qualify for each one!): You’ll get my deepest gratitude and a shout out of thanks on Twitter and Facebook. I will be giving digital copies, printed copies, autographed copies, and even a few autographed, dated, and numbered author’s copies of The Annoying Ghost Kid. (If you don’t want or need a children’s book, I’ll also provide copies of my inspirational book: Wisdom in the Weirdest Places.) I will provide a group coaching session in dealing with bullies for the kid of your choice either via Skype or tele-conference line. A few people will get an exclusive one-on-one coaching session for their child (again via Skype or telephone).  If you don’t have a kid, there will be a group session, and a few one-on-one coaching sessions for adults in whichever of my areas of expertise you choose (please visit my website for more details: www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com) again this will be provided via Skype or telephone. You will also be able to sponsor my presentation to the elementary school of your choice anywhere in the world (via Skype), and anywhere in the contiguous United States (in person). 

The Impact

You’ve heard in the news what a big problem bullying has become lately. Part of my motivation in running this campaign is to create awareness of my program so that I can take it to more schools, and help more kids. Please tell your local school about it. Or send me their contact information (email is best), and I will reach out to them.

Most schools have a “No Bullying” policy. Some schools even offer an Anti-Bullying program. The problem with most of these policies and programs is that they do not teach kids how to stand up to a bully. They teach victims to avoid bullies and to tattle on them. Realistically this only perpetuates the problem.

The typical Anti-Bullying program tries to teach kids not to be bullies. While I applaud these efforts they will always fall short because it is the victim who needs to learn not to be a victim. I’m not saying that the victim is to blame, but simply that bullies do not pick on strong confident people. They don’t attack the strong and confident because the bully himself feels weak and insecure. It is the attacking of someone weak and defenseless that makes the bully feel powerful. I have written extensively about bullying for Psychology Today, please see this article: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-main-ingredient/201312/bullies-and-victims-are-opposite-sides-the-same-coin

My goal is to give potential victims the mental tools they need to halt a bully attack in its tracks. My techniques are simple-to-use and easy-to-remember, so that when a bully attacks, the victim will not panic and will be able to resolve it peacefully.

To date, I have presented my program in several elementary schools reaching approximately 25,000 kids. Here’s what some of the educators have to say about it:

"We really enjoyed your visit to our school on Tuesday. We really liked the way you not only entertained, but gave students some easy, practical things they can do to begin writing and to combat bullies." Cindy Adair, Media Specialist, Flippen Elementary School

"Our elementary school had a great experience during a two-day visit with author Rob Wilson. Mr. Wilson was enthusiastic and engaging as he spoke with students about his book The Annoying Ghost Kid, on being an author, and how to deal with bullies. We recommend Mr. Wilson for your school's next guest author!" Diane Brooks, PTA President, Cheatham Hill Elementary

“Rob was awesome today!  He spoke to the whole Lower School and everyone loved him!  He talked about bullying, read from his book, and was so animated!” Alisa Alloy, Teacher, The Howard School

“I had the privilege of Rob Wilson coming to my school, and all the kids loved it. In one session, he captivated the entire audience, who ranged from first grade all the way to fifth grade. Every single student was captivated by his animated voice and lively reading of The Annoying Ghost Kid. In addition to the fabulous storytelling, the students all came away with an important message about bullying, which is so important to talk about nowadays.”  Katherine Fowler, Media Specialist, Ison Springs Elementary.

Risks & Challenges

I have been bullied. As a kid, I was harassed, beaten, threatened, ridiculed and shamed. I recall in vivid detail fearing walking to and from school, and taking different routes to avoid running into kids who had bullied me. Please read this article I wrote for Psychology Today where I tell of my personal experience with being bullied: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-main-ingredient/201004/keep-your-power

Perhaps being ridiculed and shamed was the worst. Those painful memories have had long term effects on my life. Many of my decisions and choices in life have been made in order to NEVER experience those feelings again. If you’ve ever experienced that - you know what I’m talking about. As a professional speaker to adults, I frequently tell my audiences to be more bold and to take more risks in life because of the many rewards that will come your way if you do. But, I tell them this knowing that many - like me - fear being bold because of their deep seated fears that hark back to a schoolyard memory of having been bullied with ridicule.

Bullying is not going away. It is endemic to our society. We live in a system that encourages and rewards bullies. That is why it is so important for children to learn how to stand up to a bully. And, the younger they can learn it the better, because as you get older, the bullies get meaner and sneakier. Plus, it is easier to learn when you are young before you establish a victim mentality. Here’s another article I wrote for Psychology Today which expands on these thoughts: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-main-ingredient/201210/we-empower-bullies-our-admiration

I hope to raise much more than $5000 because I want to share my message and my techniques with as many children as possible. Please be as generous as you can. Thank you!

Other Ways You Can Help