Seeking support for Vivienne (8) May-June Friend Mail Recipient

2 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 12 hours ago

Popular 3rd Grader singled out by a 4th Grade bully for severe physical and verbal attacks - ending in a broken heart and broken teeth.

Vivienne (8) from Chicago

Vivienne was a "happy, friendly, popular" new girl in her school when she moved from New York City to Chicago in January 2025. The adorable girl likes to draw, read and collect Pokemon cards. She enjoys "dressing-up" with make-up, hair clips, fun jewelry and even fake nails. Most of all, Vivienne loves her gymnastics lessons - when she grows up, her dream is to be a gymnast in the Olympics! Her mom also shares that her daughter is kind, a good friend and often helps take care of her little brothers.

But in January this year, the 3rd Grader's sense of safety was shattered - a new girl in the next grade began attacking Vivienne in the hallways - grabbing and choking her whenever she saw her - and threatening"I will beat you" if she told anyone.

For months, the 4th Grader and one of her friends bullied Vivienne, physically and verbally. It was not until the girl shoved Vivienne to the hallway floor, breaking her teeth and bloodying her face, that Vivienne found the courage to tell her mom about the ongoing bullying. The brutal physical attack also made the news (see feature linked below).

Despite the bullying finally being exposed, it still continued after breaking her teeth. For instance, the 8-year-old was threatened to move out of line for the slide, and harassed that "the fall" was all her fault. The older student joked about getting away with her bullying - once telling Vivienne's brother that she just "accidentally bumped into your sister's head." After hearing that disturbing comment, and having no action taken at the school, Vivienne became so upset and angry to the point of self-harm and was sent to the ER.

Kind and friendly, Vivienne enjoys many activities! 💕

Vivienne's mom made the best choice to remove her daughter from the school for her mental health and physical safety. The brave 8-year-old struggled to find the strength to go back to school - or even to keep going at all. After 6 weeks at home, the 3rd Grader was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and anxiety due to the bullying, and has now transferred to a new school. Vivienne has permanent damage to her front teeth and is sad to no longer enjoy her school lunches because she is unable to bite properly.

At the Be A Friend Project, we often bring up the reality of the statistics... that in our country, we lose on average 6 kids a day to suicide related to bullying. Having already faced more than any child should, Vivienne needs to be surrounded by messages that remind her she is not alone - helping her rebuild her strength and self-worth, and begin to believe there are brighter days ahead.