Devyn Rush is best known as the "Singing Waitress" on American Idol's 2011 season. You wouldn't think that someone who had the guts to audition and then compete on American Idol would allow cyberbullying to bother her. However, when Rush read hateful comments on her Facebook Fan Page she was deeply hurt. Instead of lashing out or crawling into a shell she did the unthinkable by showing compassion. In a YouTube video she spoke from her heart about how bullying is painful and why people shouldn't lash out at bullies. In the video she explains that the bully must be hurting and that's why he tried to inflict pain on her.
According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), forty-three percent of teens have been victims of cyberbullying in the last year. Cyber bullying is considered the "silent threat" because it is not said directly to the victim and students who have, or are being bullied, can suffer both physically and mentally. This is a terrible epidemic and the only way to stop this is to bring attention to the problem and the victims of bullying.
Rush is a part of Cyberbullied Unite the latest resource developed by the non-profit organization Hey U.G.L.Y. - Unique Gifted Lovable You - to empower youth to counteract bullying. Rush hopes her YouTube video campaign will inspire others to respond with love instead of fear and hate. Since posting the video in mid-February she has already received numerous emails from children and teens about their experiences of bullying. They report her video was a powerful influence on a new way to handle bullies.
Founded in 2002, Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2004. This 100% volunteer organization is dedicated to helping youth with self-esteem and empathy-building programs to empower them to be part of the solution to bullying. (U.G.L.Y. is an acronym for Unique Gifted Lovable You.) The Hey U.G.L.Y. message has reached over 700,000 students through their Stop Bullying Task Force Program Curriculum, Empathy Learning Activity Plans (ELAPs), Assembly Presentations, seminars, website, "Choose To Change" radio show and work with schools, community organizations and youth development professionals. Their youth programs enable students to become an integral part in the teaching and learning process. Students go to HeyUGLY.org for cool celebrity quotes about self-esteem. Educators go to PreventBullyingNow.org for easy-to-execute, results-oriented curriculum and speakers. Parents visit HeyUGLY4Parents.org for advice from youth and experts.
According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), forty-three percent of teens have been victims of cyberbullying in the last year. Cyber bullying is considered the "silent threat" because it is not said directly to the victim and students who have, or are being bullied, can suffer both physically and mentally. This is a terrible epidemic and the only way to stop this is to bring attention to the problem and the victims of bullying.
Rush is a part of Cyberbullied Unite the latest resource developed by the non-profit organization Hey U.G.L.Y. - Unique Gifted Lovable You - to empower youth to counteract bullying. Rush hopes her YouTube video campaign will inspire others to respond with love instead of fear and hate. Since posting the video in mid-February she has already received numerous emails from children and teens about their experiences of bullying. They report her video was a powerful influence on a new way to handle bullies.
Founded in 2002, Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2004. This 100% volunteer organization is dedicated to helping youth with self-esteem and empathy-building programs to empower them to be part of the solution to bullying. (U.G.L.Y. is an acronym for Unique Gifted Lovable You.) The Hey U.G.L.Y. message has reached over 700,000 students through their Stop Bullying Task Force Program Curriculum, Empathy Learning Activity Plans (ELAPs), Assembly Presentations, seminars, website, "Choose To Change" radio show and work with schools, community organizations and youth development professionals. Their youth programs enable students to become an integral part in the teaching and learning process. Students go to HeyUGLY.org for cool celebrity quotes about self-esteem. Educators go to PreventBullyingNow.org for easy-to-execute, results-oriented curriculum and speakers. Parents visit HeyUGLY4Parents.org for advice from youth and experts.
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