Ask Sam letter

Hi C*,

Thank you for taking the time to write to me. It seems like there is a lot going on for you now and I’m pleased you’ve been able to share your thoughts and feelings.

You’ve mentioned that year 9 is a really difficult year for friendship. It sounds like you are being bullied by the girls in your school and they have made some really unkind comments towards you. What these girls have said to you is bullying and it is wrong of them to treat you this way. You can read some more about bullying here.

I can hear that the bullying is making things hard for you and you’ve felt depressed and have some thoughts about wanting to die. These can be really difficult feelings to deal with alone and I think it would be good to talk to a ChildLine counsellor about this. 

I know that some young people worry about what ChildLine can and can’t keep confidential so you may like to read more about our confidentiality promise.

You’ve also talked a bit about your family. You said that your dad and aunt have both died and that you don’t see your mum. A family member dying is a really hard thing to go through. Everyone experiences lots of different feelings when someone dies. Some young people find it helps to make memory boxes. You can use this to keep special items and memories safe.

You might also think about using the message boards - there are a lot of young people offering each other support when someone dies. There are also message boards full of support for things like bullying.

Well done for getting in touch and I hope some of this has helped you.

Take care,
Sam