Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Bullying can happen to anyone at any time. But nobody has the right to make you feel bad about yourself. No matter what the reason, bullying isn’t okay and it’s not something you should have to put up with.

When someone is being bulled, it can be a difficult experience. You don’t have to go through this alone. Although it can feel scary, it’s okay to tell someone about what’s happening to you. You could speak to a teacher about the bullying. Your school has responsibility to protect you from being bullied and they should do something to make the bullying stop once they know about it.

It seems like the bullying has made you feel under pressure to lose weight. Before feeling like you need to change anything about yourself or your diet or exercise plan, it is important to talk to a medical professional, such as a doctor or nurse. A doctor can advise you on how to stay healthy. If you do decide to change some things about your body it's important that you do this because you want to, not because of things other people say or think about you.

You might also like to talk to some other young people on our message boards or just check out what has help others in similar situations. Sometimes, talking to someone else can be a good way to get a different perspective on difficult thoughts and feelings.

Bullying can have a big effect but things can change. There’s lots of ways to build your confidence. And remember, you can always speak to a Childline counsellor for support.

Take care,

Sam