Welcome to The Bully Pulpit, a blog about bullying.

If you have found your way to my blog on bullying, either through a word search or possibly by word of mouth, I suspect that you have more than a passing interest in the subject of bullying.

Maybe you’ve been bullied in the past, and the pain still lingers.

Maybe you’re being bullied right now, and you wish it would stop.

Maybe someone you know is being bullied, and you don’t know what you can do to help.

Maybe you just want to talk.

I am not a professional in the mental-health field. I have no special training. I am not qualified to offer professional counsel.  I am a writer by profession who has discovered, at many key points in my life, that words have tremendous power. Hurtful words — like those hurled by someone who intends to cause harm — can inflict great suffering. But words of love and support, offered by fellow travelers on this very difficult path toward healing, can bind up even the deepest wounds. I know. I’ve seen it happen in my own life. And I want to share it with you.

I offer this blog as a venue for you to share your story with others who are going through similar experiences. When did the bullying start, and what form has it taken? How many people are involved? How have your teachers, parents, friends and others responded? What has been most hurtful about your experience? What has been most helpful? What do you wish other people knew? What do you wish they understood?

Along the way, I will be weighing in regularly with ideas, insights, prompts, etc., to keep the conversation going.

In my case, my bullies were my two older siblings. But as anyone who has ever been bullied knows, bullying hurts — no matter who’s doing it. The more we share our stories together, the likelier it becomes that we will discover that we have many more commonalities in our stories than differences.

I have no real ground rules, because I want you to speak freely. I ask only that everyone remember that we are all friends here. Let us treat one another gently, with respect and compassion.

A  quick word about the name of this blog, “The Bully Pulpit.” Yes, the pun is very much intended. The dictionary defines bully pulpit as “a public office or position of authority that provides its occupant with an outstanding opportunity to speak out on any issue.” This, then, is your bully pulpit. This is your opportunity to speak out about bullying. More importantly, it’s your opportunity to be heard.

I am so glad you have decided to join us. To get started, go to the section titled, “Scroll here for more posts,” and choose a topic that interests you. You’ll notice that every post includes a question for you, the reader. Please feel free to respond to that question, if you like. But you may prefer to write about something else that relates to the post. Either way is fine.

And if you find hope and healing here, I invite you to pass the word along to your friends and acquaintances, so that they, too, can know the power that comes from speaking up.

Welcome, and God bless. You are not alone. There is hope. Someone does care.

© 2012, Ann Graham Price. All rights reserved.