Madam – When I was in high school, I was bullied by girls in another class for being ‘different’ and a ‘teacher’s pet’.
At the time, I felt there was no-one I could turn to, because the mother of the main bully worked at the school, and this girl bragged about how she could get away with anything. A few times, my parents reported the bullying to the principal, who apologised, but did nothing else.
It was only once I moved towns to attend university that I realised how much the bullying affected me. From a relatively outgoing person with many friends in school, I struggled to form meaningful friendships.
I found it very difficult to trust people, and as a result, started keeping to myself – even resenting my roommate for bringing home her own friends. I could not relate to anyone because I had isolated myself so completely.
As a result, my academic life suffered, to the point where I had to change tertiary institutions and start over almost from scratch.
For me, bullying was never something I spoke about, because I was embarrassed to have let myself become so weak that I needed the validation of others to feel better about myself.
Ultimately, even unconsciously, this spilled over into my private life and I allowed myself to become involved with an abusive partner. The abuse was always subtle; picking on my clothes and hair and wanting me to act differently in front of friends and family.
My self-confidence took a huge knock and I wasted years of my life struggling to learn who I was.
When I finally found the courage to step up and move on, I realised how badly I ended up for years, because of continuous victimisation, and because the adults who were supposed to be protecting me (the teachers and principal) turned a blind eye.
I wrote this letter to warn parents and teachers. Things could have turned out so badly for me, but I was lucky enough to have an amazing family who supported me through my dark times. I was even luckier to find a partner who showed me what real love was, and who proves it every day.
If you do not step up and protect children from bullying, we will be losing more than the future. We will lose innocent lives, all because you might not want to make bullying your problem.
Bullying in schools is real. It hurts and it’s scary. It almost destroyed me, and I have no doubt that somewhere in Newcastle, there are hundreds of children going through the same thing.
Open your eyes and help them, before it’s too late. Speak up and defend them. You may just be the only thing in their lives that’s keeping them hanging on.
Never broken
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