I am writing to you to explain my opinions on bullying and why I believe there should be a bullying support group held in every Fenland town.

I have a very strong opinion against bullying and having experienced it myself for many years, have grown sick of people being upset or not being able to concentrate in their lessons.

Ever since 2000, the rate of bullying, cyberbullying or otherwise, has gone up drastically. Knowing plenty of people who have been bullied, or are being bullied, I would like to ask the town if there could be a bullying support group.

In many places around the world there are bullying support groups for those who get bullied and have previously been bullied.

Bullying in schools gets harder and harder to stamp out each year. Even though there is the anti-bullying week every November in which hundreds of people across England alone participate in, it still isn’t enough.

It isn’t only in schools though. Several cases of bullying happen outside of the school, sometimes in the workplace or even at home, being bullied by family members or people you thought were friends.

Cyberbullying is even harder than normal bullying to stamp out as on websites there is often a username for people and you don’t know who is who.

In many American states, there is a law against cyberbullying and more and more people die from committing suicide each year because of it.

I have experienced such a thing and I can tell you now, it is not what you would like to see children saying. Premeditated attacks are often what happens to teenagers and they can be as harsh as saying to someone “Go kill yourself” or as I experienced “go hang yourself” and “get hit by a train/bus/car”.

These threats can leave a mental and emotional mark on people which can be carried for the rest of their lives.

Cyberbullying can lead to depression and self-harm. At the worst cases, suicide attempts. Many people have already committed suicide in Fenland, even more have self-harmed in some way.

Often, teenagers who have experienced such things can’t get over it without therapy and counselling. They think that they are the only ones who it has happened to, when obviously they aren’t.

Unfortunately due to budget cuts, mental health services do not have the ability to help those who need help the most, those who get worse every day. This is why I believe there should be a bullying support group in March and the surrounding towns in Fenland.

KIRA GIBSON

Year 11 student at Neale Wade Academy