According to the U.S. National Institute of Health, 71 percent of students report bullying as an ongoing problem.  Every 30 minutes,  a teenager attempts suicide due to bullying.

Now, a young Arizona boy, here in Hawaii on vacation, hopes to help other victims of bullying with a book he has written based on his own experience.

Levi Fallavollita knows what it's like to be bullied.

"At first, I thought it was horsing around and then it started getting serious with threats and shoving.  Then I told my parents and that lead to a gun threat," said Levi.

Now 12 years old, he's written a book sharing his experience as a fifth grader, being bullied by someone he considered a friend.

"I just felt really sad and a little angry that someone would do that," said Levi.

"Obviously, as a mother, that just breaks your heart.  I just couldn't believe these kids and how they were saying really cruel, hateful things to him: that his clothes weren't cool, that his clothes made him look fat," said Levi's mother, Chantel Fallavollita.

Levi and his family are here in the islands on a vacation.  But he says he knows the issue of bullying is as much of a problem in Hawaii, as it is in his home state of Arizona.

His goal is to get his book in schools and libraries across the nation.

"People can learn from bullying and that bullying would stop and kids would know how to prevent it and be able to stick up for their friends," said Levi.