
Advertisement
Advertisement
Liam Hackett
Advertisement
For anyone being bullied who might be reading this, I understand that this is easier said that done; that attitude shift isn't going to happen overnight. You need experiences outside of your age group and immediate contemporaries, whether that's a retail job or a book club or anything in between, to find out who you can be when you're not just The One Who's Picked On.I spoke to Lisa*, a 21-year-old who's about to start university and is petrified of once again being singled out and bullied by classmates. She's been a target since she was nine years old, verbally harassed and ostracized both online and at school, and regularly told that she should commit suicide and break her limbs.She told me: "I didn't apply after my A-Levels because I've been suffering from anorexia for years and only just recovered. I just wait for the abuse and judgement and tend not to talk at all. I'm scared about university because I really don't want to relive my past, and because I'm so shy, I don't know how I'm going to make friends. I panic about it every day."Read on Motherboard: When Humans Bully Robots, There Will Be Consequences
Advertisement
Advertisement
Despite how unaffected she seems, the troubles during Ana's educational career have, predictably, had a profound affect on her. Her admission makes me realize that perhaps my adamance against ever being a parent comes from subconsciously sharing her fears. Underneath my exterior, do I actually still believe that being bullied is the worst thing that could happen to a person?Professor Chris Kyriacou teaches Educational Psychology at the University of York and has written countless theses around bullying. I asked him what leads to being a bully or a victim during school years. His response was reassuring: "In certain circumstances, almost anyone can become a bully or a victim," he said. "But often a bully may be facing problems in their personal lives for which bullying someone offers some relief and social status. Victims are often just in the wrong place at the wrong time."Bullying can be a horrendous thing to go through, and is not something I would wish on anyone. If you're being bullied, it's important you talk to someone about it—whether that's a friend or a parent, or a charity like Ditch the Label—because if you voice your worries to someone else, they can help you process them rationally. It's also important to remember that things get better; they did for me, they did for Liam, they did for Ana, they will for Lisa, and they will for you, too.*Name has been changed.If you or anyone you know is being affected by bullying, contact Ditch the Label here.Follow Sirena Bergman on Twitter.Read on Motherboard: A 13-Year-Old Wants to Map All the Bullies in the US