Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thanks for writing to me.

I can hear how stuck you feel about what to do. What this girl is saying to you sounds really hurtful. You say you have tried to confront her and it seems like at the moment she isn’t prepared to talk about why she is doing this.

It can be frustrating when you would like to talk to someone about a situation and they don’t seem able or ready to do this. Whatever her reasons, it's never okay to talk to someone in this way – it’s cyber bullying and that is wrong.

If she is someone at your school then they should take cyber bullying seriously and you could talk to a teacher you like and trust about what’s happening. It might be helpful to show the teacher the messages she has sent you so they can understand what has been said.

If she is someone you only know online, you may want to report her which you can do on Facebook itself. You can also block her so she can’t message you. We have instructions on how to report and block people for lots of the main social networking sites, including Facebook.

I’m concerned to hear that this is making you feel like you do want to die. It’s really important that you remember that what's happening isn't your fault. You deserve to live and be happy.

I think it might be helpful for you to get some support. I’m wondering what it would be like for you to talk to someone you trust like your parent or carer, a close friend or a ChildLine counsellor. If you start to feel like you might try to end your life, it’s important you tell someone as soon as possible so that they can support you.

ChildLine is always here and you are welcome to contact us at any time. You can contact a counsellor in lots of different ways. You can call for free on 0800 11 11, start a 1-2-1 chat or send an email.

You might also want to have a look at our message boards - this is a space where young people can share their experiences and advice. There is a section just for cyber bullying which you could find really useful.

Take care,
Sam