I get called names because I'm on crutches ,pushed around, called fat and I was told to kill my self by a older boy but the teacher I fort I could talk to left and now my confidance has shrunk so much I feal like there is no one to talk to at my school as the teachers don't understand what I'm going through what should I do?
Sam
Hi there
Thank you for your letter. Nobody should be calling you names or pushing you around. Telling you to kill yourself was a completely unacceptable thing to do. What youve described is bullying. If people are treating you differently because you use crutches, then this is also discrimination. Its not okay, and it needs to stop. It looks like this has been something thats been going on for a while, but its really good that youve been brave enough to still ask me for support even after your confidence has shrunk.
I can hear how hard it was for you when your most helpful teacher left. I imagine it might feel like its just too difficult to make anyone else understand just what you have been going through. At the same time, its very important that you are able to go to school feeling safe and secure. If someone started pushing you around in the street, it would be okay to call the police. Just because this is happening at your school doesnt make it any less serious.
When youve lost somebody who has been a big support to you, it can be good to try and work out what they would say to you if they were still here. Im wondering what your teacher might say if you were to mention that you werent feeling as confident any more? Who do you think the teacher might suggest would be the best person to go to when theyre not around?
Thinking about things in this way might help you feel more able to keep getting support using things youve learnt from your old teacher. When youre not feeling confident, I know it can sometimes be hard to ask other people for help. You might like to take a look at our information on Building Confidence and Self-esteem. It would also be good to read of the Explore page about Assertiveness to help you decide what to do next. Theres some advice there on ways of having tricky conversations, as well as ways you can deal with the bullies if they are calling you names. Remember that youve got a right to not be bullied in school, and youre not doing anything wrong by getting help with that.
Whenever you feel like the bullying is on your mind or you want to talk about things, you can contact a ChildLine counsellor. ChildLine is there for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can phone free on 0800 111, log on for a 1-2-1 chat or send an email.
Take care
Sam
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