Born with a mild-to-moderate case of cerebral palsy, Tony Bartoli encountered a lot of bullying while in school. As an adult, Bartoli wanted to change how kids with differences, including disabities, get treated at school, so in 2004 he started traveling across the country to help raise awareness about the seriousness of bullying.

Bullied at School
Bartoli was bullied in school from fourth to ninth grade.

“They (the bullies) made me a target because of my cerebral palsy,” he explains.

Bullying incidents started off as verbal, with name calling. One favorite of the bullies was “No-Good Wimpier.” As ridiculous as the moniker may sound, the words stung.

Bullying Gets Physical
Bartoli progressed into middle school, and the bullying turned physical. Incidents included being shoved in the hallway, or thumped on the back of the head while he was riding the school bus.

The bullying increased in frequency, sometimes as often as four days out of five. The bullying made Bartoli feel isolated, and he increasingly kept to himself.

Some of his classmates noticed the bullying and reported the incidents to teachers, who in return reported the incidents to the principal. The principal sat down with Bartoli and the bullies, but Bartoli noted such meetings only temporarily reduced the amount of bullying.

Finally, the bullying stopped in the ninth grade after some of Bartoli’s peers started sticking up for him.   
 
Students with Disabilities Bullied Often
Bullies prey on individuals with differences, making students with disabilities especially vulnerable to bullies. In his travels, Bartoli has encountered many students with disabilities who have been bullied, including students with Down syndrome, autism, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy.

Bullying will continue to be a problem until people talk about the issue. Bartoli explains part of the problem involves “not knowing how deeply it (bullying) affects others.”  
   
Anti-Bully Strategies
During our interview, Bartoli shared some strategies to help prevent bullying from occurring:

•    Learned Comeback. A learned comeback involves standing up for you. For instance, if you find yourself in a bullied situation, state strongly “Stop this bullying! I’m a student just like you and I don’t have to deal with this!” before leaving the scene.

•    Stay in a Group. Groups work to prevent bullying, which often happens in community areas (locker room, lunch room, hallways) at school. “Bullies look for targets who are alone,” Bartoli says. By staying in a group, you help reduce the chance of being bullied.

•    Become Involved. Throughout our interview, Bartoli couldn’t stress enough the importance of bystander involvement in bullying. When other students get involved and stand up for the rights of others, the power of intimidation gets taken away from bullies.

Bartoli emphasizes to students who are being bullied that the bullying shouldn’t last. If you are on the receiving end of bullying, take action! Check out Tony Baroli’s website. If you, or somebody you know, is experiencing problems with bullying, Bartoli welcomes emails at tonyb4hope@yahoo.com.
 
Photo shows Tony Bartoli, who counsels students about how to put a stop to bullying.