Sticks and stones

If you are made to feel hurt or intimidated - whether you are at home, school, college or online - this can significantly affect your mental health. In fact, bullying can still affect us years after it has happened, for example, with depression and anxiety. The National Bullying Helpline remind us that what happened is not your fault.

Tag has been investigating what bullying is and what you can do about it.

What is bullying?

If you feel that someone has intended to be hostile to you through physical assault, threatening behaviour or name calling - this constitutes bullying. It is often repeated behaviour which is intended to hurt someone emotionally or physically. In fact, over four in 10 of students who reported being bullied at school said it was repetitive. It can also be aimed at us because of our sexuality, race, religion, if we have a disability, or based on our gender, but it is not limited to those.

The main advice Tag would give is that you should talk to someone if you feel like you are being bullied. Opening up to your teachers and parents can help you figure out how to tackle the problem.

Tag interviewed a current college student who experienced bullying during the beginning of secondary school:

This is Alice Hunter (not her real name), a 16 year old college student from Eastbourne:

Tag: When and where did you start experiencing bullying?

Alice: Bullying for me started at the very beginning of secondary school.

Tag: How did bullying affect you, emotionally and physically?

Alice: Bullying affected me pretty bad. Emotionally I started to spiral in a deep depression and physically I just wanted to stay in my room and not do anything because I had no one to do stuff with.

Tag: How did you cope?

Alice: I didn’t for a long time. I sat contemplating day after day to resolve this issue. The teachers weren’t much help but with confidence from loved ones I managed to confront the bully and say what needed to be said and to stop.