The Girl They Picked On: How She Broke Free From Bullying

 

Bunmi, a gentle and not-so-tall girl, had just transferred from a private school to a public senior secondary school. In her first few weeks, she stayed quiet and rarely spoke in class in an attempt to hide her stammering. Her unpleasant experience in her former school, where she was taunted and mimicked, still lingered in her mind. For as long as possible, she hoped her classmates wouldn’t notice, but one day, when she was called to answer a question, she stammered and it became known to everyone on her class.

From that day, some classmates, especially four girls in a clique, began mocking her. They gave her cruel nicknames and belittled her whenever she tried to speak. She tried to ignore them, but the constant ridicule made her dread going to school. It began to affect her self-esteem; and her academic performance started dwindling as she could hardly focus in class or while studying at home. 

Every time she sat to study, she seemed to always remember the nicknames her mates had plastered on her, and how the whole school seemed to know her as the ‘girl of sluggish tongue.’

One day, a concerned classmate reported her situation to the principal, who addressed the whole class, teaching them about the harmful effects of bullying, and the need to respect one’s mates. Gradually, the bullying stopped, and some classmates even began supporting Bunmi. With encouragement from her parents, teachers, and her classmates, she regained her confidence and now, she can stand before a large crowd and communicate effectively, with no fear of ridicule.

Her experience showed that mutual understanding, kindness and support can break the cycle of bullying. 

Dear student, whenever bullying is going on around you, please show support to the victim and speak up against it when you can. It is often helpful to report to higher authorities.

So, what is one lesson you learnt from this story? Let us know by using the comments box.

Also, what forms of bullying have you seen in your school? Have you overcome a prior episode of bullying before? Share your experience in the comments!

Our subsequent articles will address the subject of bullying in more detail, and equip you with the knowledge you need to break the cycle of bullying – whether directed against you or any of your peers. Anticipate!