Bullying is a continuous problem that we have in this country. Children who are getting bullied tend to feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. In Michigan, there is a group of bikers that have made it known that they won’t stand for bullying of any kind.
After a year of her child being bullied, Ashley’s mother had to do something to stop her daughter’s tears. So, she turned to Facebook. “My name is Ashley and I’m 7 years old. I am a victim of bullying by an 11-year-old boy. It hurts me very much. Please, stop bullying.” When her mother posted it, she never expected that the end to her daughter’s nightmare was near.
Ashley Wastakiewicz is in the first grade. She’s a shy little girl who loves playing with her cat and dog. Ashley lives in Jackson , Michigan, in a residential community where she is free to play outside. Unfortunately, during summer vacation Ashley’s outdoors playtime turned into a nightmare for her. Why? Because of the bullies.
Down the road from where Ashley lives, is an 11-year-old boy. For some reason, he turned his eyes to her that summer. For an entire year, every time Ashley went outside, he was there to bully her. The name-calling was bad enough, but one day, the bullying took a scary turn.
On that day, Ashley was pushing her bike home and the boy stepped in her path. He then pushed Ashley onto the ground, kicked her, and then ended his attack with a punch to her face. Ashley had to be taken to the emergency room where she was treated for a swollen nose and bruises. Even though her family pressed charges, the bullying continued.
The boy was charged with misdemeanor assault, but his family didn’t believe he did anything wrong, so the bullying continued. Ashley became so sad that she was diagnosed with anxiety. Her mind turned to thoughts of her family not loving her and no one cared about her. Christine, Ashley’s mother, knew that those types of feelings can turn into thoughts of suicide. Christine had no option but to take things into her own hands.
Facebook was a great outlet for Christine. She created a page for anti-bullying called “Friends For Ashley.” Ashley made a video of her pleading for the bullying to come to an end. Christine knew it would take the whole community to make a stance. Using her page, Christine hoped she could bring the community together to end bullying. You’ll never guess who showed up to help.
James Dingmon is a member of Jackson’s American Veterans Motorcycle Club. He was shown Ashley’s video by members of other biker clubs in the area. He was crushed by the news of Ashley’s torment. “I don’t believe in bullying. Nobody should be bullied,” he said. James and other club members knew they had to do something to help Ashley.
In order to figure out what they could do, several members of different biker clubs got together to talk about it. It was obvious that they weren’t going to hurt the 11-year-old, but they had to do something. “We wanted a show of force, that she is loved and she’s got people out here that care for her,” Dingmon said. It was time to make a visit.
The bikers decided to meet at a park near Ashley’s house. Then, the bikers, dressed in black leather, made their way to Ashley’s neighborhood. Not only did they take pictures with Ashley, they even let her sit on the bikes! “Members of a number of chapters from around the area paid a visit to her neighborhood to show that she is not alone and is loved by many,” wrote John R. Spencer on Facebook. But that wasn’t it.
After talking with Ashley for a little while, the bikers walked with Ashley to her bully’s house to let him know that Ashley was definitely not alone. “She rode her scooter with pride alongside us saying ‘I’m not scared anymore’ with a big smile on her face,” Spencer said. After a year of her pain, Ashley was finally able to feel safe thanks to her new biker friends.
To thank the bikers for their help, Ashley made them a card! Ashley was a bit too shy to read the card out loud, so her mom did it for her. In her note, Ashley said, “I am bullied. Bikers take care of me.” That was all the thanks the bikers needed. They just wanted to help out their community. They even plan on keeping in touch with Ashley, too!
The boy’s family still hasn’t taken responsibility for his actions, so the bikers are sticking around. “We will continue contact and won’t let her feel the way she did before and be hurt any longer, and hopefully the word will spread and the immature violent, destructive behaviors that surface due to parents that cannot properly raise their children will come to an end,” said Spencer.
The bikers weren’t the only ones who showed up for Ashley. Local station WOOD TV8 made a visit to their neighborhood, as well. The boy’s mother said that her son didn’t attack Ashley and he was grounded at the time. And it looked like she even wanted to take it a step further.
Ken Colker, reported for WOOD TV8, told viewers that the family didn’t just deny any wrongdoing, they were planning in taking legal action. “When I talked to the mother, she said she plans to get a personal protection order against the victim’s family,” stated Colker. It appears that Ashley’s story isn’t quite over.
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that among students of the 12-18 age range, about 21 percent of them have reported being bullied. That report doesn’t include the number of children younger than that or the ones who get bullied outside of school. Because bullying affects so many people, it’s a community problem. And not every community has a biker gang to stand up for them, so it’s time to stop the bullying.