🚀 go-pugleaf

Hey everyone!

  I've been having a bit of a hard time with bullying in my school, not the
physical bullying
thank God, just segregation and teasing/name-calling, which really is to
be expected, I mean, I really *am* a bit eccentric... and proud
of it! :)

  Actually, the bullying itself wasn't the problem at all, bullying
happenes in schools, full stop. The problem was that the school, right
from the beginning, supported in the bullies in a very tacit way. Either
my reports of bullying were ignored, or, when they were listened to, the
bully was not told "You're wrong to bully him" he or she was told "This
guy's way too sensitive, so just stay away from him so we can't find
fault with you". And this was their unspoken stance for three years,
that the bullies were not wrong to bully me, but that I was wrong to
feel what I felt.

  I put up with this up until a few weeks ago when the support turned
from being tacit and almost insidious to being extremely open. I was on
my way to a class when this laddie who'd been following me around for
ages bullying me started calling me a fa**ot yet again.
Putting my reading of suggested anti-bullying tactics to the test, I
said to him in a loud, clear, and assertive voice that he was bullying
me and that I wouldn't tolerate it and neither would the school
authorities. Boy, was I ever wrong?! :) A teacher was nearby and
heard/saw the whole thing, and came over to chew me out for raising my
voice!

  The guy ran off to tell all his friends that they could bully me and
i'd be the one to get the short end of the stick if I didn't just take
it lying down. So, I knew i'd have to put up with the same stuff en
route to my other classes and without any support from the teachers, so
I walked out. I have since been labelled as an irresponsible and
over-sensitive student. So, i've to get my name cleared, find a school
that abides by the guidelines for countering bullying behavior as issued
by the department of education in 1993, and that also recognises that i've
a right to
my feelings and a right to have my feelings respected... phew, let the
hunt begin! :)

  Still, even if I find a decent school, they'll still need a report from
my old school, and it's entirely possible that this attitude will follow me
into my new school, the attitude that my reports of bullying are not to be
taken seriously and that it's me that's at fault and not the bullies. I
really don't know what to do, my parents have contacted the Department on
my behalf and somehow that are able to side by this school that doesn't
obey their rules that they set down in '93. At this point, we're thinking
of taking a civil action against the school, althought I don't know if
we'll get any more satisfaction, hell, we may have to go to the European
court of rights! If this has been of interest to anyone, you're welcome to
contact me at obyrne@tinet.ie and i'll give you more information; an email
I sent to the school after I walked out, my account of the last day of
school ect. If anyone has some useful input into my situation, that would
also be greatly appreciated!

  Regards, 
          James O'Byrne.