Conclusions and Advice
From Some of the Girls

• I don't think people should have to be perfect to fit in.

• I think the worst issue girls are facing, is every issue. I think drugs is a major issue, I think being perfect is a major issue, I think having sex is a major issue. There's so many issues that people have to face and if we say that girls automatically become depressed, and girls automatically hide I think if children are told they're bad, then they're gonna be bad. If girls our age are told that they're gonna hide in a rock, they're gonna hide in a rock. I think we should encourage people to go on with their lives. I don't think somebody should ever have to feel that they have to commit suicide or find a different way out, because some people may have it harder than other people, but life will go on, and everything will eventually get better.

• I think the main issue that for teen girls nowadays would probably be drugs, and I really hope that this message that this video is giving out, I hope it really affects the lives of a lot of people.

• I guess my word of wisdom is, don't be a sheep. Just because someone's your friend, you don't have to follow them around, and do what they do. Just because these people smoke, or these people drink or something, doesn't mean that you have to. You can just go and do what you want to do; you don't have to please anyone. Just be yourself.
  
  
• Mainly, watch out for certain things. Don't gossip a lot because it always ends up hurting you at the very end. Always give respect to other people and don't discriminate. And always respect yourself and smile at times because it always makes you feel good when you get a chance to.

• One thing that I would say to girls in middle school would be that this too will pass. Whatever your problem may be right now, it'll pass and life will go on. I have a friend who was thinking about committing suicide, but didn't want me to say anything and I couldn't hold that in and now she's alive and she's well and she's happy that we did say something. I was having a tough day and she looked at me and she was like "This, too, will pass." It'll pass. Don't worry about it now ëcause next week the person you're hating right now will be your best friend and you'll talk to them for hours on end on the phone. So, I mean, if you're upset with someone right now, you need to tell them that. You need to tell them what you're feeling because "this, too, will pass."

• As you go through life, challenges arise and you must overcome them and set goals for yourself and you will succeed, I guarantee it.

• There's a lot of things that aren't right in this world and it's not fair. I pretty much fight it whenever I can. For the first three-quarters of my life, I sat back and took whatever anyone handed to me, but now I know I'm right. I'll pretty much fight for it. I have a lot of strong friends who are just like you can't sit back and watch them walk all over you, you have to stand up and say what they're doing isn't right.

• If you have problems, get help.

• I would say to girls entering high school to keep up your self-confidence. Don't let what others do effect you. You may be pressured into things, but you just have to be able to say no. If you don't wanna have sex, don't have sex. If you don't wanna drink, don't drink. You don't have to, nobody's going to force you to, and just keep up your morals and do what you wanna do. Live for yourself.

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Beyond the Butterfly is co-produced by Wisconsin Public Television and NEWIST/CESA #7 (Northeastern Wisconsin In-School Telecommunications).