Monday, November 26, 2012

The Butterfly Project


Speak Out Against...bullying and
 self-harm

1 in 4 kids are bullied. Bullying can lead to depression. Depression can lead to self-harm and suicide. It is said that 1 in 20 teens self-harm. Over 630,000 visits to the ER every year is due to self-injury.

Give love to The Butterfly Project, a blog style, open forum that deals specifically with bullying, self-harm, and suicide and has given cutters and those that self-harm a way to change themselves and the world.

THE RULES: 1. when you feel like you want to cut, take a marker or pen and draw a butterfly on wherever the self-harm occurs.
2. name the butterfly after a loved one, or someone that really wants you to get better.
3. NO scrubbing the butterfly off.
4. if you cut before the butterfly is gone, it dies. if you don't cut, it lives.
5. if you have more than one, cutting kills them all.
6. another person may draw them on you. these butterflies are extra special. take good care of them.
7. even if you don’t cut, feel free to draw a butterfly anyways, to show your support. if you do this, name it after someone you know that is suffering right now, and tell them. it could help.


The butterfly project on facebook


Supporting The Butterfly Project is a way to spread awareness and create change. Join me and draw a  butterfly on your wrist for those who are bullied, who self-harm, who debate suicide. Stand up, speak out.


And the tour continues...as Linda Jackson
Speaks Out Against...bullying

Speak Out  YA Book Tour

The Speak Out Against...Book Tour continues over at Linda Jackson's blog Writers Do Laundry, Too. Join her as she shares with us her experiences with bullying. Thank you, Linda for hosting us today!


Linda Jackson is the author of the middle grade novels The Lie That Binds and When Lambs Cry, the sequel to The Lie That Binds. In addition to her own books, she published What's The Matter, Mr. Giraffe? (2003) by Gloria Menifield, There Are No Blankets On The Moon (2004) by Angela Gill and Blynda Kellner, Keys (2004) by Jennifer Goodwin, and Field Trip Around the World (2009) by Chloe Jackson and Blynda Kellner. She is a frequent contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul, with stories in Just for Teenagers, Here Comes the Bride, and The Power of Positive. She has worked as an independent contractor, developing stories for reading assessment for educational publishers.


7 comments:

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I actually just visited Linda's blog this morning. It's so wonderful that you and writers like Linda are bringing awareness to this issue.

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

I wandered over from Linda's blog, too. One in TWENTY teens self-harm??? Hoe horrifying. I had no IDEA the problem was so bad. I truly hope the butterfly project helps. Bless you for shining the light on this issue and trying to make a difference.

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

Thank you. I think it is so important to talk about these tough issues and raise awareness. I thank you for your support and helping me in doing so. It is great to meet you.

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

Isn't it terrible? And they believe those numbers are probably low because self-harm is something people go to extremes to hide.

Thank you for stopping by, commenting, and supporting me in raising awareness on such tough and devastating issues. It is great to meet you.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting my bio, Rebecca. :)

Interestingly, I don't recall wanting to harm myself during those troubled years. But I did contemplate ways I could pay back the bullies, which I know is even scarier.

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

Of course, thank you for hosting today and for sharing your stories on bullying and dating abuse.

Susan Oloier said...

Thanks for posting this, Rebeccca. Yes, cutters will go to great lengths to hide their cutting.