Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thank you for your letter. You’re right, bullying of any type is wrong. You’re being treated unfairly and don’t deserve to be treated this way. You’ve been really brave to get in touch with me.

No one has the right to judge you because of who you are or what you believe in. Treating someone unfairly because of their age, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or relationship status is called discrimination. It is wrong. Everyone is entitled to equal opportunities, which are a set of rules that make sure everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

It’s not okay for anyone say to mean things to you online as this is a form of emotional abuse. There are ways in which you can block and report people doing the bullying. It’s also important to save any abusive messages or comments so you can show them to an adult you trust. Find out more about staying safe online.

Physical abuse is when someone deliberately hurts or injures you, and it’s not okay that you have been kicked and punched. You have a right to be safe and no one should be hurting you. You did a great thing by telling your teacher about this, but sometimes changes don’t happen as quickly as we want them to. It’s really important to keep telling your teacher so things can get better.

Your school has duty to protect you from bullying and they should have anti-bullying, equal opportunities and discrimination policies. These set out what they will do to help people who are being bullied or discriminated against. It might be helpful to speak to your school about these policies.

You don’t have to deal with this alone. Talking to someone you trust may help you find ways to improve your situation.

Everyone is different, and it’s these differences that make people who they are. Remember, you can talk to one of our counsellors at any time. We are always here to listen to you and support you.

Take care,
Sam