Bullying

[simsfreq]

I'm making a film for my media coursework on the subject of bullying, so my question is this: Were you ever bullied, and what did it mean to you? Was it physical or mental? Or have you ever bullied anyone? Do you feel remorse? Do you think they deserved it?

Any and all opinions welcome, your views might be used in my film though (spoken by actors) so please don't post if you don't want to be a part of it.

Anybody living in the Warwickshire area who is willing to be filmed, please contact me at [email protected]

[devilwoman]

i was bullied for almost three years as a child, it makes life *****, its scary, and upsetting, i was afraid to go to school every day, i had no confidence, as i got older i realized the only way i was going to be safe was to bunk off school as much as possible. mine was both physically and mentally.

[saxy_jag]

I was emotionally and mentally bullied for five years at a girls' grammar school that purported to turn us into 'ladies'. As a result of that and the total lack of support from staff who were only interested in academic achievement, I basically gave up on school, just ending up bumming around the place not doing much at all, much to the annoyance of the staff and the despair of my parents. I became sullen and withdrawn and had few friends.

Because it wasn't physical bullying, and because other forms of bullying weren't addressed by schools in the 1970s, it went unnoticed. I couldn't talk to my parents, and if I had told teachers then they would just have told me not to be so silly.

I lacked confidence for many years, working in dead-end jobs because I'd failed at school. It wasn't until I went to university as a mature student that I began to realise my own potential. These days, I'm happy, more or less, although I still have a poor self-image (years of being called horse-face and big-bum).

Feel free to use my comments. If I can stop one person going through the same thing, then you're welcome. I also have a blog that I haven't updated for some time, but there's an entry on it ("For Louise") that you are free to use in its entirety if you wish:

http://www.frontlinebooks.co.uk/frontline/blog Search.asp?strSearchType=author&strBlogSearchS tring=smellyelly&intBlogId=

Cheers

[suffragette]

I was a very tall, red haired child. Life was fine at Primary School, but a group of girls in my year group at Secondary School bullied me relentlessly.

The bullying shattered my confidence and even today, at the age of thirty six, I am withdrawn and find it difficult to socialise, much to the annoyance of my young daughters who feel they miss out because of Mummy's reluctance to mix with anyone but her oldest and closest friends.

The worst aspect of the bullying wasn't the physical violence or being avoided by classmates who were frightened of attracting the attention of the gang, it was the constant verbal abuse that related my hair colour to my menstrual cycle. It was perverse and cruel. Reminiscing on their bestial comments can still bring a tear to my eye, today.

One of my bullies was killed in a car crash some years later and I'm ashamed to say, I cheered silently and wished a similar fate on the others. It's sad that bullying can engender such a heartless streak in some, though thankfully not all, of its victims.

[mydogsandme]

Don't feel bad, suffragette. I was also bullied at school, not physical, in fact I'm almost glad it was the 70's as I think the problem is much worse now. I was shouted at and called names in the street and at school throughout my teens due to my looks. No-one ever knew. I sometimes remind myself now how good it is to walk down the street from A to B without a knot of fear in my stomach and having to take detours. I have to steel myself even now to walk past groups of teenages and I'm 46. My unhappiness at that time was summed up in the poem "My parents kept me" if any of you know it. I struggle with feeling left out and persecuted and often turn it the other way and appear over-friendly as I can't bear people not liking me. If I can help in ANY way, I will- it really messes with your life.

[Bellringer]

I feel really sorry for you ladies (I think you are all ladies). I was always a bit on the tall side (male) I was 6ft at 12 years and some lads did have a go at me, but once I had smacked the ring leader they left me alone. I am not a violent person but it helps at times.