Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

I’m really pleased that you’ve written to me about this bullying as you shouldn’t have to put up with this.

Bullying is wrong and should be taken very seriously by your school. I'm wondering if you have you let the headteacher know that it’s hasn’t stopped? Sometimes teachers think it’s all sorted if they don’t hear anything more about it. Teachers will often start with one approach with the bullies but they have other ways of dealing with them if it continues to happen after they’ve spoken to them once. 

It can help to keep a record of what’s happening to show your teachers so that they can see what you’re having to deal with. This can be as simple as a piece of paper where you list the date, time and brief note of the type of call you get and who made the call if you know this. You can add on anything else that they might do to upset you outside of these calls.

I’m assuming you’re getting these prank calls on your mobile phone. It might be possible to change your number if it’s getting too much. Would you be able to talk to your phone provider or ask an adult to help you to do this?

I’m really concerned to hear that you get these prank calls everyday and wondering how you’re coping with this. If you need support you can always talk to a ChildLine counsellor. They will listen, won’t judge you and can help you to work out what to do. There’s someone here 24 hours a day and you can ring for free on 0800 1111 or use online 1-2-1 chat. You can also get support through our emails but it can take up to 24 hours to respond to these. Just so you know calls won’t show up on phone bills and if you use a mobile and you don’t want anyone to know you can delete our number from your call history.

You might also find it helpful to look at the Bullying message board. You could leave a message and see what other young people suggest. I hope you get the help and support you deserve from school and please remember we’re here to support you whenever you need.

Take care,

Sam