Why won’t they stop being mean to me? #AntiBullyingWeek #BeKind

Give to the anti bullying campaign NOW – £30 trains a school anti-bullying ambassador

“Tears stream down my face, and I try to make myself as small as I possibly can. No-one must find me. I don’t want THEM to find me. They keep hurting me. Keep saying horrible stuff to me. I’m not like that. I wasn’t staring. People don’t hate me. Do they?

I try to move further back behind the gym mat as I hear someone approaching me. It’s dark in here. They won’t see me.

But will they be able to reach me and get me out?

It IS safe here. But only here where THEY can’t get to me.

Oh no.

They are coming, I can hear them. They are slowing down. Is it THEM?

Have they found me again?

I thought I was safe. Nowhere is safe is it. Not now.

Help.

They’re going to be mean to be again aren’t they?

Please.

Stop.”

Helen Neale, Aged 6.

That is one of my first memories as a child. Six years old cowering from the bullies behind a gym mat at my primary school in the hall.

I’d run away from them.

Run away again from their taunts, their name calling, their pushing.

I didn’t know where to hide.

Luckily, I was wrong. It wasn’t the bullies.

It was a wonderful, kind teacher that found me. She helped me that day. She helped my parents.

I still remember her name, and the names of the other teachers that cared for me, and looked after me.

I also remember the names of the bullies vividly too.

I’m not too sure that they will remember me though; they have possibly long forgotten the actions they took, and the lasting effects it had on a small, vulnerable little 6-year old.

It has turned me into a strong, caring women, who is desperate to stop other little 6 or 16-year olds feeling the pain and anguish of trying to find a safe place to be in a society where safe places are ever so hard to come by now.

Safe used to be home.

At least at home, the bullies couldn’t get to you anymore.

I thought that hiding behind a gym mat would be safe.

But, you can’t hide behind gym mats anymore; social media is ubiquitous.

Social media follows you wherever you go, so the bullies can be wherever our vulnerable kids are.

Watching. Waiting. Plotting.

The only way that we can beat the bullies is to EDUCATE them, and the children around them.

Bullying isn’t acceptable.

It doesn’t matter what form it comes in.

It doesn’t matter how “character building” it can be.

It doesn’t matter if people keep saying it is “part of growing up.”

If it is affecting a child. You. Your child. Making them sad, isolated and confused. It is not a part of growing up that we should be accepting.

It. Is. Not. Right.

Support The Diana Award today

To help support the education in UK schools of ambassadors to really get to the crux of the bullying problem – let us support the work of Alex Holmes and the Diana Award, and Anti-Bullying Pro. Alex is one of the THE most amazing people I have been fortunate enough to meet.

Someone who has taken a part of his life that was dark, and terrible, and turned it into something wonderful.

Something that brings light and hope to kids across the UK.

Take the time to find out what The Diana Award and Alex are doing across the globe to raise awareness and train ambassadors in schools to change the attitudes that really matter.

The attitudes of the kids that bully, and the kids that could stand and watch. They are training children to have the confidence and power so that they don’t feel they have to stand by and let bullying happen. It’s time to get the bullies to stop being mean.

That way, those that are bullied don’t need to feel alone, and scared again.

Let’s take action today and donate.

£30 helps to train an ambassador. And that ambassador and the support they give could very well safe a life.

That’s £30 well spent, don’t you think?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this – there isn’t really anything any you need to do now, but donate to the cause and be vigilant. Look out for signs of bullying, tell kids to stop being mean and support our kids today.

Thanks so much for reading.

Helen

Helen

Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine!Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time.KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10.It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania.Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!

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