Hi J***,
Thank you for your letter. Im really glad you contacted me for some support. I hear from lots of children and young people who are being bullied so I understand just how serious it can be. Its important to know this is not something you have to go through on your own and there is support available.
Youve already taken some really good steps to find out about what you can do to get some help with what is happening. Our page about bullying talks about the different types of bullying, and the different things that can be done to try and stop it. We also have advice about Online bullying and Bullying on social networks if you are being bullied online.
As for places to meet other young people who are bullied, the ChildLine message boards are a safe and supportive way to talk with other young people who could be going through something similar. There are lots of posts on there where people have shared their experiences and talk about what they found helpful.
If you want to meet people in person, its important to think about how this can be done safely. If this was something you were interested in doing an idea might be to talk to one of the teachers at your school to find out if there is a bullying support group you could set up.
If you want information specifically on how to make new friends, we have a page on Friends which might have some useful information.
Being bullied can have a big impact on how you feel about yourself and I was wondering how you are coping with everything. It might also help to think about who in your life you could talk to.
Remember this is not something you have to cope with alone. There are several ways you can get in contact to talk about this some more with a ChildLine counsellor. You can call free from any phone on 0800 1111, have a 1-2-1 online chat, or send us an email.
You have the right not to be bullied and you deserve for it to stop. It can take a lot of courage to speak out, so well done for writing in.
Hope you find this letter helpful.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
