Hands up if you have ever been bullied?

Did you know that on Friday it’s National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence which is now in its seventh year?

Let’s be clear on a couple of points.

Anyone can be bullied.

It can be for a range of things like race, disability, gender, etc.

The thing to take away from this is that bullying in any form isn’t acceptable.

There are three types of bullying behaviour:

• Verbal bullying which includes name calling or insulting someone about physical characteristics such as their weight or height, or other attributes including race, sexuality, culture, or religion
• Physical bullying which includes hitting or otherwise hurting someone, shoving or intimidating another person, or damaging or stealing their belongings
• Social bullying which includes consistently excluding another person or sharing information or images that will have a harmful effect on the other person.

I was bullied at school (at the time I hadn’t been diagnosed with Autism).

I was a quiet, shy kid who kept to myself. This made me an easy target.

We have to remember that bullying in any form is serious and that you are not alone.

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“We must all make it easier for those who are bullied to speak”
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Statistics show that bullied students are nine times more likely to consider taking their lives.

Let that sink in for a minute.

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“While not all bullying ends in suicide, suicide is the leading cause of death for young Australians”.
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It’s everyone, not just parents and children, that need to talk about bullying.

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“If you are a parent, few things make you feel as terrified, yet as helpless, as your child being bullied,” he said. “That fear of finding out too late or not at all, and of not knowing what to do once you do is incredibly difficult.”
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Remember – don’t suffer in silence. Don’t think that it will just go away. Talk to someone. It could be a member of your family, or your best friend, but talk to someone. Don’t suffer in silence. And don’t let the bullies win. Your life and your mental health are of paramount importance and you are a worthwhile human being.

To get involved with the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.