One day I was scrolling through my Facebook page when I noticed a nasty post about me from one of my friends. It said incredibly hurtful things and I couldn’t believe that someone I’d known for so long could be capable of such cruelty. I was so upset, I almost deleted my account.

But before I could do that, I decided to stand up for myself. I posted a public statement explaining how hurt I was and how disappointed I was that someone I had trusted and considered a friend could post something like that online. I was so proud of myself for speaking up.

After I posted the statement, the cyberbullying didn’t stop. I started getting emails and messages on social media accounts all day and night, getting attacked and called all sorts of hurtful names. It took a toll on me emotionally and I started to feel like I was worthless. I knew I needed to do something to make it stop, so I decided to report the situation to the police.

The police investigated the incident and eventually tracked down the cyberbully. He was arrested and charged with cyberbullying. After that, I was never cyberbullied again.

Since then, I’ve made sure to be more aware of what I post online and to stand up for myself whenever I see something that isn’t right. No one should have to endure being bullied online.