I’m going to level with you I hate bullying and I will do everything I possible can to prevent it from being a common occurrence. People share my view on this topic and believe it should be one of the main priorities to monitor, but I didn’t start believing what I do because everyone else did or because I witnessed it happen. I experienced it, I was a victim. I want to talk to you about what bullying is, its effects and some of my story hopefully leaving you guys with both a little more insight into myself and a little more insight as to what it is and preventing it.  

Can you guys imagine for me a little girl, with the oversized dress and hat and bag waddling down to these massive school gates, she was full of anticipation, wonder, happiness, excitement, motivation and courage. She seems like a little girl with an extremely bright future doesn’t she! Little did she know she wouldn’t stay that way for very long. From the minute she walked into those gates, from the minute she spoke to the first person she was instantly targeted and she didn’t know why. She didn’t ask for it and she didn’t do anything to deserve it. She became the centre of every fight, and every hateful word. She was told she was worthless she was told to end her life she was told she was nothing she was told that she shouldn’t try because she’s a failure and she could never achieve anything, she was told she was fat and ugly and annoying and stupid. This girl was 6 years old! Yet these words and actions left a very distinct imprint in her mind for years. That girl is 15 now. That girl was me.

It  started in kindergarten at St therese primary school and it continued all the way up to year 3 until eventually it became too much, to unbearable that I was forced to move schools to St Lukes primary school. And unfortunately it didn’t stop there either, it continued through years 4, 5 and 6. That’s my entire primary school life. How do you guys remember your last day of year 6? Probably crying because you will miss everyone and laughing back at all the past memories. I spent my last year 6 day in the bathrooms, sitting in the cubical eating my lunch because I felt to threated, to ashamed to walk outside those doors and face the harsh words people had to say. In what sick and cruel world are kids belittled to the point that they go to the effort to hide, they have to go to the great length of hiding and making an effort not to be seen because they are so scared in their own environment? These people, they didn’t know how much they were hurting me how much they were effecting me. These bully’s don’t understand that what they say actually DOES hurt that person weather they show it or not. You can say all you like nono its okay they don’t care they laugh about it well let me ask you this, how could you possibly tell what that person is feeling, what that person is going through. You don’t know everything. It takes a certain level of humility to actually say um I actually don’t like that, its killing me. I had not a single shred of confidence. My mum spent 7 years of her life building my confidence back up again after I didn’t believe in myself anymore, I thought I was worthless and I started to believe what these people were saying about me and that’s when it starts. When you start to believe what they say that’s when the depression and the anxiety and that self hate starts. Its proven that the more times you are told something the more you start to believe it, these kids are targeted everyday, that’s 365 days a year for 7 years possibly 13 that these kids are forced to get up and face this cruelty. That’s incredible the amount of sheer determination they have to adapt to every single day just to get through it. I want you to know that you might be playing around; I could pretty much say that 98% of you have teased someone in your life. What if the person you’re teasing is the person who is thinking of committing suicide?

People think that bullying is tough, it’s not tough. You want to know what tough is, go up to the people you tease and say you’re sorry, you want to know what tough is, go up to the people that tease you and say please stop. That’s tough. What numbers of suicides have to take place before society realizes that bullying kills people. How do we get through to people that pulling someone down wont make you reach the top. It’s not funny and its not a game. In high school, unlike primary school, I have a support system, I have people there for me who will bring me back from that edge, because of those people who I call my friends I’m still here. We, as a community, need to be that support network for these kids and these students who cant speak for themselves, we need to be the change. Bullying happens way more than it should but you always have the power to make a difference. If someone is alone on the play ground will you offer to be his friend? If someone gets pushed down will you lift them back up? If a friend is sad because of a mean text or message will you send some kind words to make her smile? If someone puts you down will you believe them or choose to believe in yourself? Be apart of the positive not the negative speak up and spread kindness.