Spotlight 25-26

Anti-bullying week: A letter to my 13-year-old self

Continuing the theme of letter writing, for anti-bullying week members of staff have written a letter to their 13 year-old self, those letters are on the next pages. Bullying takes place in many forms, some are obvious and some are more subtle. Standing up for others and for yourself is always important, if you feel it is safe to do so. If in doubt you can always speak to members of staff or use the various channels of communication listed on the ‘Who can I speak to?’ posters found around the school. A definition of bullying: Bullying is the repeated, intentional use of force, threats, or coercion to hurt or intimidate another person, often exploiting an imbalance of power. It can be physical, verbal, psychological, or online (cyberbullying) and can take many forms, such as name-calling, spreading rumors, exclusion, and physical aggression. Bullying can occur anywhere and has serious emotional and psychological consequences for both the victim and the bully.