Bullies Beware!

Patrick was badly beaten by a bully at school last year. It upset me so much, and made me SO angry, that I haven't blogged about it until now. The school staff were excellent, and the bully was suspended (and has been again since - including for nearly the whole of 3rd term). The little thug knocked Patrick to the ground and hit and kicked him in the head and chest! We are VERY lucky that these scrapes and bruises and a bit of soreness are all that Patrick received! Thankfully with lots of support from us, and the school, Patrick wasn't too traumatised by this (unlike his mother), and was OK about going back to school. I dropped him at the Kinder side of school for most of the year, as it was the quickest and safest entry point into the school - and the one with the most supervision. Patrick called him "my biggest nightmare", and would spend recess and lunch times trying to avoid him! The thug who bullied him is from a family of thugs that are HOPEFULLY relocating! We'll see when school goes back.

!!!

I was bullied at high school. The new girl to Grade 8, and coming from a small country town (Campbell Town) to a city high school, I guess I stood out - especially in my shiny Bata Ponytails (shoes) with the Tiger print (now what was that all about???), and crispy new uniform and school bag in school colours. The Principal back then was a stickler for school uniform details and neglected to mention that the girls all wore Granny shoes, and NOT lace up school shoes, and that NO-ONE (except a couple of teacher's kids) had the school bag. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked, the point is, I was badly bullied by some NASTY Grade 10 girls, and when they left, the grade 9's took over! I still see some of them around, and one is constantly in the news for winning awards for her business which grates on me (to say the least). This girl and her posse, would corner me in the toilets and threaten me, follow me around town, and tell my friends they were going to "get" me, and I was once even slapped HARD in the face by a nasty, nasty bully whose boyfriend (and now husband) stopped his car to let her out to assault me!

I've decided this is the year that I will speak up. Next time I run in to Tammy or Katherine, or any of their nasty friends, I intend to remind them of what they did, and how they affected my high school years. This has all come from the many conversations I've had to have with Paddy about bullies, sticking up for yourself and protecting yourself - conversations you shouldn't need to have with 8 year olds!!! I saw an ad recently for someone who was doing research on bullying and wanted to hear from bullies. I NEARLY cut it out and gave it to "my biggest nightmare" Katherine - perhaps I will this year!

!!!

I guess the message here is I WISH I had stood up for myself and told someone back then, and I hope that Patrick and Lauren NEVER have to worry about bullies again!