[lily.]

Bullying

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school?
- If so, has it affected you in the long term?
- Did you tell anyone about it at the time?
- If so, was anything done about it?
- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied?
- Have you ever intervened to stop bullying?
- Would you ever intervene to stop it?
- Were you ever a bully?
- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying?


Discuss..

[Emilee]

Well when i was bullied a couple of years ago, it did effect me at the time, i was really quiet and didn't really socialise with people at school apart from my friend. When i decided to tell the teachers, thinking about it now they really did do a lot for me, which i didnt really notice at the time, as at the moment i dont think schools do enough to stop it. I have never been a bully myself, even though they say victims of bullying become bullies themselves.

Now i do try and stop bullying and show i dont agree with it, and try to stop it from happening as best i can. I also do give advise to people being bullied.

[Lauren]

I have been bullied most of my life and only just recently has the bullying stopped (Mainly when I got into sixth form - people because less judgmental of other people, and everyone just gets on). Saying that, a lot of people are bullied this day in age and I just hope people can see that when they're bullied, it's nothing against them - cos ANYONE can be bullied.

It's probably hurt me in the long term with self-conscious issues. I now constantly worry about how people perceive me, and I worry about if people genuinely like me or are just faking it. I'm also very shy around people, whereas I know that I'm not really a shy person. Though I'm getting over most of these issues, it's well and truly behind me now.

I didn't tell anyone about it because it wasn't physical and a lot of people were getting treat worse than me. There was probably more people bullied in my school than there wasn't because the bullies just went with anyone.
I've intervened to stop bullying a couple of times cos I just got sick of people feeling they have the right to judge other peoples when they themselves are not perfect in any way.

I was never a bully myself and I will never be a bully. I'm totally against everything bullying stands for.
I think schools do not have the chance to deal with bullying as effectively as they like because they're constantly being held up by both sides - the victim and the offenders and they can't do anything right.

[andybigbro]

i hate bullies they are just evil

[MarkWaldorf]

I wouldn't say I was a victim of it, but I have been bullied since Primary School. It's not a nice thing to go through, but I completely have no respect for the people that do it. They think they can get away with anything, they're prats. Like Lauren said, I worry a lot more now from the way people see me, and know me. I feel as if I'm not doing something right.

I haven't stopped bullying, but I only sometimes do if it's a friend being bullied.

[Sophii3x]

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school?
Yes I was. In primary school, I was the new girl and the popular kids targeted me
- If so, has it affected you in the long term?
I have got over it now, but It hurt me so much at the time
- Did you tell anyone about it at the time?
Nope, I was too scared
- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied?
Yes, many friends have been bullied. My best friend was bullied terribly in Primary, then in Comprehensive school she has been bullied a few times. Another friend, Sian has been bullied all through her life, because of her weight. Also my cousin was once racialy bullied in school.
- Were you ever a bully?
In a way yes. I think everyone has been a bully once in their lives. Everyone has called a brother or sister a name/ hit a brother sister. But I have never seriously bullied anyone, and I never would.
- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying?
No way.

[lily.]

I was bullied through in the latter years of primary school. My parents talked to the school, but little or nothing was done about it at that time. I was allowed to leave 5 minutes before the bell rang, so I could get home before the bullies got out of school. But that was a long time ago. I'm now 33, and I know schools have changed a lot since then.

When I reached secondary school it continued. Sometimes it was physical, sometimes just mental/emotional (the snidey stares, catty remarks, sniggering etc.). I never bothered telling the teachers or anything, cuz I figured nothing would be done.

Finally, I turned. I was about 13 or 14 and I just turned around and smacked this girl, who wasn't even one of the original bullies!!! She had been trash-talking about me, and I just launched at her and punched her square on the face. She was shocked. I was shaking on the inside cuz I had never hit anyone up til then. But I stood firm and pretended to be tough. That seemed to earn me some respect, and the bullying stopped.

I think it's bad that I had to basically be a thug to stop them. Up til then, I was a quiet child (I know that's hard for you to believe! ). The bullying actually made me a stronger person. Although I still can't punch my way out of a paper bag, I talk a good fight, never back down, and don't let anyone walk over me now. It helped me when I left school and started work because my manager tried to bully me, and I didn't tolerate it. I wonder if maybe I would have put up with more if I hadn't had the experiences at school.

I'm not saying I'm glad I was bullied, but I survived, and with no long-term damage. Unfortunately others were bullied worse than I was, and still bear the emotional scars.

Nowadays, I wont stand by and watch someone being victimised. It's probably not always the most sensible thing to do, but if I see kids fighting, I break it up. I can't stand to see it. And, if my kids were being bullied, I would take it very hard indeed.

[andybigbro]

i will admit i have been nasty to people which i regret

But i really do hate it when i see someone getting picked on and i always stepp in and stop it

For instance today some boy was getting picked on at my school and i said Shut up and leave him alone

As they were younger than me they stopped and ran away

Bullying is wrong and Cahildren can have a hard time in life because of it

[BigSister]

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school?
Yes i was in my first year of high shool
- If so, has it affected you in the long term?
No
- Did you tell anyone about it at the time?
Yes I told ateacher and he called them into office and i think suspended them
- If so, was anything done about it?
- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied?
Only through the internet
- Have you ever intervened to stop bullying?
No im too shy
- Would you ever intervene to stop it?
No
- Were you ever a bully?
No of course not
- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying?
At my school it was very good at stopping bulling but i have known situation swhere people have turned a blind eye

[Sunny_01]

I have the head hanging shame of admitting that I was a bit of a bully in senior school. It is not something I am proud of and not something that I will ever say is right.

I then had to watch my poor daughter experience the awful trauma of being bullied, it was a nightmare for her and us. It was pretty bad and we had to have the police involved but luckily she has come through it a much stronger, braver more confident young woman. She was so brave and it humbled me to see what she went through and know I had done similar to another person.

I think that schools should try to do more, every school has to by law have an anti bullying policy, but what use is it if the school are not sure how to put it into practice. Luckily my daughters school were very proactive but I know that is often not the case.

[Siouxsie]

I have never had a problem with bullying personally,but working at my local primary school i see it nearly everyday especially when i am on playyard duty. The thing is ,I know it sounds ridiculouse but unless a child is being constantly bullied every day by the same person or people we cannot class this as bullying. We have a brilliant anti bullying policy in force at our school and are not allowed to ask the children direct questions.We do try to be aware of what is happening and me myself know which likds to watch out for and which kids to protect. Sometimes i go home from school quite upset by what i have seen but I know that Teachers cannot be everywhere all of the time. It is a really difficult situation.

[Princess]

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school?
I'm not at the moment but I have been throughout my life. From around when I was 5 till I was 14 on and off. Never physically but verbally which imo is just as bad. It was horrible. I just got picked on for being different.
- If so, has it affected you in the long term?
Well I dunno,I can't really imagine life without it. What doesn't kill you makes you strongly.
- Did you tell anyone about it at the time?
Eventually,not at first as I was scared. I never did in secondary school though.
- If so, was anything done about it?
When I did yes but I only told once out of a few times. The time I told we just had a talk and it didn't really help much. It just made me feel horrible.
- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied?
Yes but before I've known them.
- Have you ever intervened to stop bullying?
I try and stop people being mean to other people. I see no point in meaness even if it isn't meant.
- Would you ever intervene to stop it?
Yes. I hate bullying and would help.
- Were you ever a bully?
No. The thought of it sends shivers through me to be so horrible to someone else for no reason whatsoever
- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying?
They try but it doesn't stop it.They never can,not everyone tells as they are scared and even if they do it never gets fixed.

[stacey]

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school?
yeah ive been bullied before me and my best mate by a whole group of about 14 girls at school they just decided they didnt like us and would bully us mentally not physically it stopped about a month ago
- If so, has it affected you in the long term?
nah not really i just hate all of them
- Did you tell anyone about it at the time?
yeah because me and my best mate kept crying and stuff and we told our tutor, head of year and a few teachers but they didnt do anything
- If so, was anything done about it?
nope not a thing
- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied?
not physically bullied as such
- Have you ever intervened to stop bullying?
Only once when this one boy i walked past was just pushing this other kid about i was older and thought i should have said something so i did
- Would you ever intervene to stop it?
maybe
- Were you ever a bully?
nope i hate bullying but i have called people names eg. cousins and stuff but not in a nasty way
- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying?
no i dont think their doing anything really

[Ruth*Star]

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school?
i dont get it really bad, its just names like Ruth-less Toothless or Ruth the Truth, things like that, but time in the past girls have taunted me and once and girl pushed me down on the floor and the whole class laughed at me.

- If so, has it affected you in the long term?
Not really but some-times the names annoy me

- Did you tell anyone about it at the time?
No, but i eventually told my form tutor

- If so, was anything done about it?
Yes

- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied?
Yeah, not pysically more mentally.

- Have you ever intervened to stop bullying?
No, i'm the person who stnads in the backgroend trying to keep quiet

- Would you ever intervene to stop it?
if i had the strenght i would.

- Were you ever a bully?
No

- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying?
they think they do but they dont.

[Razmataz]

Bullying for me, happened quite a bit of my school life, name here name there, and the names didn't get to me. But a couple of bullyings of myself were much more physical, after I lost my best mate in 2002 in a serious car crash, I had nobody to go to, to protect me or back me up, and one lad took himself upon me to smash his fist into my face repeatedly, and kicks to my groin area were made. I soon recovered in hospital, and went back to school to learn to my horror he'd not even been suspended or touched by the schools behaviour sector....basically let off the hook. I stood up for myself and marched to the front of an assembelly demanding an inquest into my treatment, this was an awards ceremony just before christmas 2002, I walked on stage and screamed down the mic, parents of awardees were there, and they were all left gobsmacked, a few parents withdrew their children from the school, and the local LEA put the school on high alert. After that incident the school got better, bullying was stamped out almost completely, the kid in question was excluded and I've never seen him since.

It had stopped dead, the school was getting along, and then bang someone threw their toys out of the pram, and started laying into this other guy accross the table from him in the dinner hall, this was an unprovoked attack, and the school was restless again, and the bullying factor slowly returned. A month or so after this incident a guy grabbed me by my hood and wouldn't let go after a few requests for him to let go, so I thought of the "I've had enough of this ****", clenched my fist and smacked him in the face, smashing his jaw and one of his teeth flying out, the incident to my joy was caught on CCTV, so they could see it was provoked, the guy was excluded and I was suspended.

This time however the bullying got worse. I thanked my lucky coins I was in year 11 that this incident happened.

The other day I went back to my old High school, and it's not changed for the better, the kids running riot, and names are being said all over the place, it was disgusting that 11 year old kids were using the "f word" towards year 11 pupils.

[Nowhere]

A couple of girls tried to bully me in year 7, but considering I looked at them with as much respect as the crap on my shoe, I had many witty comments to throw back at them at the time (luckily) I had them laughed at by a fair few other people, as they couldn't retaliate,except to throw in a few 'whatevas', after that, people would try their luck, but weren't successful. I think the problem lies whether you give a **** what other people think of you or not, if your a worrier, you'll try and smoothen out the situation as best you can, without confrontation, but if you're not, well you just have fun with it. In the later years it got a little more physical, (I went to school in London) but the trick is to never show fear, or back down.I had a fair few fights in that school,just to reaffirm that I wasn't a victim, some I won, some i didn't, but it's about the taking part I stood my ground, and refused to be looked down upon my these halflings, and soon enough people couldn't be bothered with the trouble, bullies tend to go for easy targets, it makes them feel good. Overall I think schools leave a lot to be desired these days, parents aren't sending their children into safe, learning evironments, they're sending them into a warzone.

[ThaGazBoi]

I have been bullied but I have also been a bully.

I was bullied in secondary school year 7 because I looked diffrent to everyone else. They left me alone when I stood up for myself, and I bullied a boy called Ross because he smelt, I regret it deeply and I only did it because I was getting bullied, and In a way I guess I thought it was allowed.

[Tanser_Man]

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school?

Not really, i've been called names daily sometimes but never as bad as i have seen other people get it.

- If so, has it affected you in the long term?

Obviously the names do make you question yourself, i.e if someone takes the micky out of your hair for example, you might seek ways to avert their thoughts.

- Did you tell anyone about it at the time?

Nope, because i felt there was nothing to tell and i've never been one to tell of my problems.

- If so, was anything done about it?

N/A

- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied?

Yea, a young girl i know got bullied purely for having ginger hair. Kicked, verbally abused.. generally made to feel like she was not supposed to be there. Felt really sorry for her being she was very emotionally disturbed and it was hard to get her smiling.

- Have you ever intervened to stop bullying?

Yes at work, a man was threatening a collegue of mine for many weeks, so i stepped in the one day and said to try and threaten me. He tried to give me verbals but actually was afraid of people giving him a taste of his own medicine. After that he rarely spoke to us again, which was great and rather euthoric tbh.

- Would you ever intervene to stop it?

Oh yes, always. When i was at school i rarely got involved in anything because, for one i was a skinny wrench, and secondly i couldn't have said boo too a ghost! Not i have matured and bulked out a little it's easier and it's the right thing to do. Many people are scared in adulthood to say anything and i find that pathetic tbh.

- Were you ever a bully?

I don't think so, i have said names but never in malice or to make people feel derogatory about themselves.

- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying?

From my time, it wasn't dealt with. There were threats to pupils but nothing ever followed up but teachers can't be everywhere and anywhere.. most of the bullying goes on when there teachers are not around.

[Sunny_01]

Originally posted by Supersue
The thing is ,I know it sounds ridiculouse but unless a child is being constantly bullied every day by the same person or people we cannot class this as bullying.

Why is that then Sue, if the school has such a good anti-bullying policy surely they will recognise that even one incident of bullying is not acceptable. Basically what you are saying is it has to be long term before action can be taken, leave it that long and you have problems. I am all for nipping it in the bud the minute it occurs.

[Z]

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school?

I used to be, in primary school. Once I left to go to Secondary School, I didn't have to see that one person and I got over it, and the first and last time I saw them since primary school was about a month ago, and I just laughed at how much of a chav he is.

- If so, has it affected you in the long term?

Yes, but not in a negative way. I think it's helped me see both sides of the coin, I can recognise bullying and I feel angry when I see it occuring, and I can stop myself before I go too far with ribbing.

- Did you tell anyone about it at the time?

No, which in hindsight was stupid.

- If so, was anything done about it?

N/A

- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied?

Yes. At the moment, one of my friends' little brother is being bullied. He's in the same year as my brother, and I've always said to my brother not to say anything mean to the boy's face [my brother doesn't like him] because I'd be very disappointed if he started bullying him.

- Have you ever intervened to stop bullying?

I've never stepped in, i.e. if a fight is emerging, but I've defused a couple of situations by taking the person who looks like they're being bullied to the side. Bullying really angers me, everybody has the right to live a life without bullying.

- Would you ever intervene to stop it?

Yes.


- Were you ever a bully?

Everybody's made sarcastic comments and been mean about/to someone in their time, but I've always tried to take the time to apologise to anybody if it was to their face, or if they heard about it.

- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying?
Definitely not, but schools are bound by the law. I personally reckon snitches should get some kind of reward for telling on bullies, like getting paid or something, I don't know. But it would help the situation if there was some kind of reward for being intolerant to bullying. It would make for a happier school life for everybody.

[GlitterEyes]

Bullying

- Were you bullied or are you currently being bullied at school? At some point or another I think everyone has been at the receiving end of some form of bullying whether it is verbal abuse, name calling or actual violence.
- If so, has it affected you in the long term? No I take most things with a pinch of salt and I was never bullied to the extreme.
- Did you tell anyone about it at the time? Yes
- If so, was anything done about it? Yes
- Do you know anyone else who has been bullied? Many people
- Have you ever intervened to stop bullying? Yes
- Would you ever intervene to stop it? Yes
- Were you ever a bully? Not to the extreme but I am sure I have said things in my school days that could be taken as bullying.
- Do you think the schools do enough to tackle bullying? No school "anti bullying policies" are rubbish, only certain teachers have the guts to stand up to the bullies and most teachers get bullied themselves and in my opinion are not fit for the job. Exclusions (days off!!!), detentions, lines etc do not work and once a bully is excluded from school they just join another and start bullying there. Most "bullies" themselves have trouble at home, or have had a bad experiences which I can understand aswell but I feel the parents are to blame in most bullying cases...alot of people I know who were bullies at school had parents who didn't care or parents who were "in need of help" themselves.

[Bells]

To an extent, I think that all children have to go through bullying at some point or another. Whether it's actually being a bully, a victim, or knowing someone in your school or a friend who is being bullied. The scary thing is that nowadays, for schoolchildren, as technology is becoming more and more popular so are new forms of bullying. You've got e-bullying (through emails normally, and that also counts for Instant message bullying, and people generally picking on you online). Then text-bullying, from which other sorts of phone bullying stem such as happy slapping etc. It's no longer simply the old-fashioned being picked on at school anymore. What's more, plenty of people can be involved in these new bullying forms - and in some cowardly cases, the bullies themselves can choose to remain anonymous!

I haven't personally been a victim of bullying. However saying that, I was always well aware of it, and as a result felt myself being over-sensitive at times, and cautious of what other people said to me, how they said it, and how it could be interpreted. Being honest, it ruined a lot of my schooldays because I felt constantly aware of others, and often wasn't just myself and didn't simply enjoy myself in the school days that are meant to be fun.

[Lilyday]

Originally posted by ice_maiden02
To an extent, I think that all children have to go through bullying at some point or another. Whether it's actually being a bully, a victim, or knowing someone in your school or a friend who is being bullied. The scary thing is that nowadays, for schoolchildren, as technology is becoming more and more popular so are new forms of bullying. You've got e-bullying (through emails normally, and that also counts for Instant message bullying, and people generally picking on you online). Then text-bullying, from which other sorts of phone bullying stem such as happy slapping etc. It's no longer simply the old-fashioned being picked on at school anymore. What's more, plenty of people can be involved in these new bullying forms - and in some cowardly cases, the bullies themselves can choose to remain anonymous!

I haven't personally been a victim of bullying. However saying that, I was always well aware of it, and as a result felt myself being over-sensitive at times, and cautious of what other people said to me, how they said it, and how it could be interpreted. Being honest, it ruined a lot of my schooldays because I felt constantly aware of others, and often wasn't just myself and didn't simply enjoy myself in the school days that are meant to be fun.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tm_h...name_page.html