On June 7, business software maker SAP hosted a community forum on its Palo Alto, California campus to discuss the current state of teen bullying, its distressing impact on our kids, and what we as a community can do about it. Representatives from The Trevor Project, the It Gets Better Project, local teachers from Gunn and Granite Bay High Schools, and more than 200 concerned community members joined SAP for this important evening.

At the event, SAP also premiered its It Gets Better film which encourages young people to reach out to get help if they are experiencing bullying and rejection, and to let them know that it does indeed get better. The film features dozens of LGBT employees and straight supporters from SAP offices around the world who share their personal stories and words of encouragement. You can view the film here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbh4YNwmfJM

The film and evening were dedicated to the memory of 18-year old Jeffrey Fehr, who committed suicide on New Year’s Day after enduring years of bullying. Jeffrey was the loving son of SAP employee Steve Fehr and his wife Pati.

In this video, taped just after the event concluded, several of the panel participants and attendees shared their impressions of the event, offered advice to kids who are dealing with bullies, and provided words of encouragement that it does get better.

*** Please watch and share this video with anyone you think might benefit from seeing it, and encourage kids you know who might be struggling with being bullied to reach out to the Trevor Project, at http://www.thetrevorproject.org/, to find help. ***

A special thanks to those interviewed for this video: Abbe Land, Executive Director and CEO of The Trevor Project; Seth Levy, Board Member and General Counsel for It Gets Better Project; Paige Albers, Founder of Silicon Valley Interschool Council; Anna Macgruder and Shayla Chock, friends of Jeffrey Fehr; and Steve Fehr, Moya Watson, David Ahrens and David Ramsey, all with SAP.