The survivors
Wednesday 23 November 2005
When you're being bullied, it can feel like you're all alone.
Three n2k readers tell how they survived their own bullying nightmares.
"I felt like a weight had been lifted"
"The main problem seemed to be my colour. I didn't realise that the fact I am mixed race would be such a problem when I changed schools, but it was. The abuse went on for a long time before I finally snapped. I went to my teacher and said if it wasn't sorted I was going to walk out of school and never come back.
The people bullying me were warned that they could get into trouble with the police because of their racist bullying. I think it was the shock they needed. I never got an apology from them, but the bullying did stop.
Telling someone was great; I felt like a weight had been lifted."
- Sonia, 18, Barnsley
"Accept who you are"
"I've always had a birthmark and my family have always said that I shouldn't listen to what people say. I have what's called a port wine stain on one side of my face. It's not as red as it used to be but it's still really noticeable. I was bullied at my last school day in and day out because of it.
Nobody really wanted to be my friend because there was a rumour going around that you could catch a disease from my birthmark. I used to hate myself and couldn't look in a mirror without wanting to cut my skin off. I stopped going to school and eventually my parents noticed something was wrong.
I changed schools and the problem wasn't as bad. I realised that bullies will find whatever your weakest point is and try and make you upset. Make what they see as weakness your main strength.
Accept who you are and you've got them beaten already."
- James, 16, Colchester
"Don't give up and don't give in"
"I couldn't understand why I was being bullied. Every day the girls would pick on me and call me names and stuff like 'slag' or 'cow'. I didn't even know their names. They picked and picked until one day I snapped and hit one of them. I shouldn't have done it because it's just what they wanted.
When I got into trouble with the teachers, I explained the situation and told them I was sorry for hitting them but I had been driven to it. I was punished for hitting the girl, but they were all warned to back off, and so far they have.
Don't give up and don't give in to violence, because that's the reaction they want."
-
Donna, 15, Loughton
n2k says
Do you have a story you want to share with other n2k readers? Get in touch and tell us. We'll publish some of them in the near future. If you need help and advice in dealing with bullying, take a look at n2k's Beat Bullying web site.
