Facing the issues: Bullying

When I was 10 we moved to another city and because my accent and background were different from the other children in my new school, I was bullied for six years. It got so bad I didn’t want to go to school. I was afraid and sometimes felt really sick. Not until I arrived home and closed my bedroom door did I feel safe. Sometimes I thought it was my fault, other times I hated myself for feeling so weak. I didn’t tell anyone.

You should not have to go through this. Life can be so unfair, confusing and frightening. Tell someone you trust; a friend, teacher, parent or some other adult. Tell them what has happened and if they don’t listen or do anything about it, keep on telling them. If they still won’t listen or act, find another adult you trust and speak to them. It is very important that you get your parents or a teacher to face the bullies and make them realise that they can get into trouble for what they are doing. I know you might feel afraid that even worse things will happen to you if you tell and the bullies find out, but why not do it anyway? Can it really be any worse than it is? Do you really believe that bullies will keep their threats about what they will do if you tell on them?

I know that sometimes the bullies do the things they have threatened to do, but hopefully they will get scared off when your parents, teachers or other adults get involved. I cannot promise that telling teachers will necessarily stop all of the bullying. It should do, but teachers cannot be there all the time to stop it. You are being bullied now anyway, so you may as well try to do something about it.

God does care.

I believe that there is a God in existence, who cares about how we each of us feels - whether we are happy or sad. Even if you do not know whether you believe this, why not pray to God. Tell him about how you feel, and ask him for help.

I remember that really bad feeling, knowing that the bully, alone or with a group of friends, would pick on me. All the way to school, I could think of nothing else and I felt there was nothing I could do about it. It might be horrible words, or even punches and kicks; they both hurt. Fear is normal - it is understandable. However, knowing that God is there with you, even when you are being bullied, can really help.

God really does understands how you feel. He shares your fear, sadness and sense of isolation. Jesus was bullied, called names, even whipped and he had done nothing wrong. He knows how much it hurts. Believe that you are not worthless; you are special and God loves you. That’s why he sent Jesus to the earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus died on the cross so that you could be forgiven by God for all of the things you have done wrong. You are very special to God, and he is with you.

Jesus is with you, even though you cannot see him. Even if bullies can make your suffer, hurt you and make your life a misery, they cannot take away your friendship with Jesus. There is nothing that they can say or do to stop that friendship. All you have to do is start talking to Jesus again - anytime, and you will remember that he is with you, listening and encouraging you. If you are afraid that Jesus will abandon you, do not be. Even if others have done this to you, Jesus promises in the Bible that, “I will never leave you, or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5, Deuteronomy 31:6).

He is always there, even if life is really horrible and scary, and it does not feel as if he is with you. If you are feeling guilty about something you have done wrong, which you feel is separating you from Jesus, just say sorry to him, and he will forgive you. Again, God promises in the Bible that he will forgive people’s sins (1 John 1:8,9).

Even if you feel that no one else cares - there is no doubt at all (according to my experience, and that of many millions of people in the world), that Jesus cares for you.
JME 2007

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