I'm a survivor
Wednesday 16 March 2005
The recent Beat Bullying campaign was a huge success.
Inspired by the campaign, four n2k readers share with us their stories of how they conquered bullying.
The past can't affect me
"I lived in England for 13 years of my life and was bullied for all of my schooling in the UK. I'm mixed-race and am very highly opinionated; I am not afraid to tell people what I think.
Whilst living in the UK I hated my self. I assumed that because everyone else didn't like me I couldn't either.
I now in live in Mallorca, which is in Spain. I go to school here and even though there were people who bullied me sometimes, it was because I was English and not from their country, but I can now speak their language and I fit in really well.
When I was living in the UK I hated myself and I didn't have many friends and the people I considered friends were very two-faced I really hated myself but now I know that I am a beautiful young intelligent girl with a future and I'm not going to let my past affect me anymore."
Charly, 15, Mallorca
You know who your friends are
"I went through hell at one point, all because I have a learning disability. I was even told that I shouldn't be aiming so high by one of the learning teachers!
I wanted to be a nurse, because I love helping people, and I wanted to prove them wrong. The bullies kept calling me a freak, and would say things like I shouldn't have been born. At one point I got things thrown at me.
I got help from my friends, and you certainly do know who are your friends when you are being bullied. My mum is like Wonder Woman; she was with me from the start. I thank her for her love and support that I got.
If you know you are being bullied, don't back down; fight them with the support of others. Stop telling yourself that you can't do anything because you can! And you will because I did it!"
Sarah, 16, Rotherham
Take control and you can stop it
"I was bullied at school for as long as I can remember. I never really fit in, and used to feel awkward around people. I soon stood out when I didn?t want to play football with the other boys and wanted to hang around with the girls instead.
I used to get called names like 'gay' and 'poof', and not just by the boys. The girls weren't that accepting either. I stopped trying to fit in and thought about running away. I couldn't understand why they were picking on me. How could I be gay if I hadn't even kissed a boy? What was wrong with being gay anyway?
I am glad I stuck it out. Years after I was first bullied, I broke down in front of a teacher and the whole story came out. I was so relieved; it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The people who were bullying me were told to keep away. The names carried on a bit, but I felt stronger for having had them told off.
Now, I've left school behind determined to make something of myself and shut them up forever. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, everybody has a right not to be bullied; all you have to do is take control and you can stop it."
Jack, 19, Manchester
The campaign has opened people's eyes
"I have never seen so many people up for supporting one campaign. I've been bullied at school since I was five and it just got worse and worse over the years.
Towards the end of my schooling I was so scared of the bullies and so fed up with being bullied that I was going to leave a week before my GCSEs started. My head of year managed to convince me to stay in school until I had finished my exams.
I went to work and the bullying didn't stop, until the bands came out. Ninety per cent of the guys at work had the anti bullying bands on and they stood up for anyone they saw being bullied.
I feel that this campaign has opened the eyes of people who didn't do anything about bullying and has helped people how are victims of bullying to stand up for themselves and stand up to their bullies. It's something I wish I had done when I was at school 'cos now I have to live with the fact that I always let them get me down.
Thanks for the campaign its really helped bulling in my area and I have finally found a group of people who think bullying is as wrong as I do and they accept me for me just like I wish everyone else had done"
Kerri, 16, Brentwood
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