Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing what you’re going through. 

Things at school sound very difficult for you and I’m concerned to hear that people are bullying you. Nobody has the right to hurt you or to try and make you feel bad.

It seems like you feel the bullying might have something to do with your colour. There are also laws to protect people from racism. It’s wrong for anyone to bully you about your skin colour (or about anything else) and you have the right to get support. Racism is always wrong. You can read more about racism here.  

Perhaps you could think about letting school know. They have a responsibility to help protect you from bullying. Schools are supposed to have an anti-bullying policy, which says what school will do if bullying happens. Maybe you could ask to see this. It’s a good idea to choose a teacher or member of staff who you trust and if you don’t feel that they do enough, remember that you can let somebody else know as well.

You mentioned that a bully kicked you and this isn’t okay. If you’re ever feeling in immediate danger, remember you can get help by letting an adult know or by phoning 999 for emergency help. Sometimes bullies can make you feel very lonely but there’s help available to all young people.

Your mum and dad being apart sounds like it can make it feel difficult to talk. I’m wondering what your relationship is like with them and how much your parents know about what things are like for you at school and how you’re feeling. You did a great job of writing to me. Perhaps you could write down how you feel in a letter to each of them so that you’re not trying to cope with all of this alone.

Don’t forget that you can always talk to a ChildLine counsellor as well, either by calling 0800 1111, by email or by a 1-2-1 chat.

Thanks again for writing to me. I really hope you get the support you need.

Take care,
Sam