Hello,
Thank you for writing to me, you have made the right decision by talking to someone about what is happening to you. I can hear that the threatening messages that this girl has sent you has really affected you. It’s left you having nightmares, feeling depressed, low and frightened to leave your house.
What she is doing is wrong. No one has the right to make you feel this way. Bullying is always wrong, however, harassment or threatening behaviour is also against the law. Something can be done to stop her, and you are not alone.
It sounds important that you get chance to talk about your feelings and the nightmares you have been having. Anytime you want to talk about this in more detail, you can call 0800 1111 or sign up to chat online. In the meantime, here are some things that might help:
You mention you have stopped using your phone - Have you considered contacting your service provider (like O2, Orange, Vodaphone) to let them know what is happening? Some providers can block calls although they may not be able to block messages. If you have a smartphone, there are sometimes free apps which allow you to do this. Try searching for "block number" or "block sms".
Another option could be to change your phone number. If you do that, only let close friends and family know it.
You have the right to report this to the police and also the college you go to if the girl goes to the same college as you. If you want to report it, try and save any messages that she sends. Write down how the threatening messages have left you feeling and contact your local police station or talk to a teacher at college.
Keep safe when you leave your house by:
1. Keeping a phone on you, fully charged and out of sight
2. Always letting someone know where you are going
3. Calling 999 if anything makes you feel unsafe or in danger
It may also be worth letting someone at college know so that they can support you to keep safe.
There are ways to keep your phone safe so you can be protected from this happening again - you can find information about Cyber Bullying and Mobile Phone Safety in Explore.
The Site also has helpful information about Phone Harassment and what you can do about it.
I hope this helps.
Take care,
Sam