National Day Against Bullying and Violence
A recent report by the Australian Human Rights Commission reveals that bullying in Australian schools is a serious problem, with over 20% of males and 15% of females aged 8 to 18 years reporting being bullied at least once a week.
Marking today as the National Day Against Bullying and Violence, we want to raise awareness by sharing the testimonial of one of our Satellite team members who experienced bullying in their childhood. She shares some tips that helped her overcome bullying.
TW: Mentions of bullying in childhood
My experience with bullying…
“I was bullied when I was 8 years old. If I can define the type of bullying, I would say it was social bullying, not physical. It was hard to realise that I was experiencing it because when it’s not physical, you can’t really identify it as bullying. All I knew was that my ‘best friend’ made me feel unworthy of their friendship, made me do things that caused me distress if I didn’t agree, and isolated me from the group.
I remember having to be very careful with my words, feeling like I lost my identity during that time. I couldn’t tell my parents or anyone because I felt ashamed and weak. I didn’t want to tell my teacher either because when you’re young, you don’t want to make things worse. You fear your teachers will speak with the person, and you don’t want that. But I feel like if I had known what bullying was, if I had understood friendship boundaries better and knew more about mental health, or known that I wasn’t the only one being bullied, I would have felt less alone, and it would have been easier for me to manage the anxiety that came after that.”
But how do you deal with bullying when you are so young?
“Having support is so important. Talk with someone you really trust if you can. I wish I could have told anyone what I was struggling with, but if you don’t wish to tell anyone yet, something that helped me at that time was writing and doodling when I felt overwhelmed by my feelings. It was cathartic and I felt some relief. Perhaps for you, it will be painting, playing an instrument, or dancing, but try to put all those feelings into a creative space that can help you heal in the future.”
Any piece of advice to decrease bullying among young people?
“I really think it’s necessary to have these conversations from an early age. It’s important to provide more information about different types of bullying and to talk about youth mental health. Teach young children about meaningful friendships and boundaries. Have more accessible information in schools, medical centers. And for teachers, look with open eyes at what’s happening with young people in the classroom—you will be surprised how many are struggling.
Learning to love myself wasn’t easy, and I’m still working on that, but slowly you start realising that it’s not your fault.
Don’t forget that you are worthy of love. You are worthy of feeling safe and good. Bullying won’t last forever; it will pass.”
Resources and organisations against bullying for young people in Australia
