As a mum, my children being bullied is one of my worst fears. They have red hair and one of them wears glasses. They stand out. They are different. Therefore they are prime targets. They do get called names from time to time – to date, they’ve just brushed it off.
Today I spotted this article in The Guardian – I was shocked by the revelation that kids as young as 13 want cosmetic surgery because of bullying. And of course much as we all love our social media, technology does make it easier for kids to be bullied, and because bullying can be done online, it’s perhaps harder to control or monitor.
After the last Ofsted inspection at my youngest’s primary school, the report highlighted that the school needed to do more to tackle bullying. The school responded quickly and soon the children were working on various activities to discuss bullying and how to make the school a kinder place. In my child’s class, they were asked to write a poem. This is her contribution.
You are the bully
You are the bully
I am the cringer
You are the bully
Who calls me ‘midget’ and ‘ginger’.
You are the bully
Who steps on my toes
You are the bully
Who pinches my nose.
You are the bully
That I tried to stop
You are the bully
Who stop all my pop.
You are the bully
Who thinks they’re the best
You are the bully
Who ruined my vest.
You are the bully
That gave me a kick
You are the bully
That makes people sick.
You are the bully
Who no-one dares hit
You are the bully
Who stole my kit.
You are the bully
Who broke the school’s plate
You are the bully
Who thinks that they’re great
You are the bully
Who stole the boys’ bikes
You are the bully
That nobody likes.
You are the bully
Who thinks that it’s funny
You are the bully
Who laughs at my bunny.
You are the bully
Who thinks that they’re tough
You are the bully
But I’ve had ENOUGH.
(c) 2014. All rights reserved. G Bevan.
What about you? Have you and your child had enough? If you or somebody you know is being bullied, Ditch the Label is a fabulous resource.
My little girls two and a redhead like your little girl. The amount of people who already have commented about how hard she will find school because of her hair is just crazy and upsetting to me. I hate that society is so messed up that we think its acceptable to bully others because they look different in any way for 80% of the population. Being bullied myself in secondary school I am determined to take a strong stance against it if it ever happens to my little one. Just fingers crossed it wont. Your little girls beautiful! and what a great poem x
Thank you Vicki. My girls haven’t found school hard. I think with young children, it’s easy to stand out and for kids to ‘notice’ the differences. But as adults, whether parents or teachers, we can model acceptable ways to behave. My children have learned to brush off name-calling – they know it’s unkind. I hope my inner strength and confidence has been instilled in them. My girls have done brilliantly, your little girl can too.