Students in Thunder Bay are Bullied Too
THUNDER BAY – NEWS – The issue of bullying in Thunder Bay schools is one that parents and students, along with educators face on a regular basis. Often when you read in the news, or watch on television instances of bullying, you might think to yourself that “At least that isn’t happening in Thunder Bay, or Northwestern Ontario.
You would be wrong!
Bullying doesn’t have any geographical restrictions.
Often the story is not told fully by the victims of the students who are bullied. The students are fearful and worried about what will happen if they really tell their story.
Here is the story of a young person here in Thunder Bay who has shared the story of how life in one of our schools has been, and why this student, whose name and school have been withheld in this article for the student’s safety.
A Student’s Story on Bullying
I go to school here in Thunder Bay.
I was bullied at there for how I was born. I have Tourette syndrome, and I get bullied because of it.
It made me feel very unwanted and unloved.
Here is my story; On the first day of school I thought it was going all good and that. But people always stared at me. I guess because of how I dressed, because I wore a big top.
But then it started getting worse I started seeing how everyone dressed so pretty with makeup and that and nice tops so I wanted to try and fit in so I tried to act like very one else, and not be who I wanted to be.
This made me uncomfortable. But then a few months later I my Tourette syndrome started getting worse, and I started shaking my head, and I cant help it.
I was trying to keep it in but I just couldn’t keep it all in! So it just came out and I cant help it everyone started looking at me, and making fun of me.
One day, a group of students pushed me into the fence and left me with bruises all over my body, and some cuts too.
People would walk up to me and pinch me, and leave purple and blue bruses that some would bleed, and it really hurt.
I felt like I wanted to end my life and I did try a few times.
I tried taking pills and that.
I was ready to die.
People in my class always would talk about me and call me names. Names like shaky head.
I would be walking down the hall way and people would stop and look at me and laugh and whisper to their friends.
I always felt like maybe im fat. so I try to suck in my gut all the time at school.
I was always trying to fit, in which I don’t think a girl should have to do.
It make me feel very sad. and people in the school started to know about me even more!
Like there parents and even this girl’s great aunt knew about me like how did she know?
Everyday I would come home, and be a grouch, and take it out on my nana cause of how I got treated at school.
Some things I wouldn’t tell my nana cause I as scared that they would hunt me down.
Now every night I have nightmares.
I feel like I was just a clown, like everyone hated me, and when I grow up and when I die no one will come to my funeral.
Because they hated me, and I never told anyone this before but im telling you now. People would stare at me in the changing room when I changed and I would think ok I may be fat and all but you don’t have to treat me like this, I may be different but im all the same Pope has made my life hard.
I should not be treated like this.
I may want to fit in, but I don’t want to be a stuck up snob like the rest of them.
And I also never told anyone this but I would always lie to my gym teachers and say I’m not feeling good so I don’t have to do gym cauase I have assma and my face turns bright red and it really hard for me to run and I cant run like the others.
People would leave me out at lunch, and I would sit alone at the bench and be a loner like usual.
I was scared of what I ate caue people might judge me and sometimes I would starve myself at school cause I was always scared. There was this really nice teacher at the school and she always let me sit inside and eat lunch with her in her classs room and that and it made me feel like she cared which she did.
And I saw I guidance counsellor a few times, and the principal.
Also at recess, I would sit outside with my head down or else people will come and point and laugh at me with their friends.
People always told me that they hate me and they would pinch me and stuff. It really hurt but I tried to hide it all the time, the cut and bruses.
But now I’m home-schooled, and I like being home-schooled because people can’t see me. and it makes my life easier.
I feel like the school didn’t care about me, and also the school put me into a different class room but it’s still all the same, now every night I have nightmares about what happened, and sometimes I just want to die.
Everyday I would come home and sit in my room with the lights off, and play on my computer. My computer is my life, and I don’t need friends, I have my cats and dog.
They cheer me up and ever time I come home, and cry my cat Molly would come and try to bite me and sit on my head because she didn’t want me to cry.
SO LEAVE ME ALONE AND I’LL BE HAPPY and now things are actually being dealt with! THANK YOU!
The name of the student and the school the student was attending have been withheld from this article. The young person wanted to post both the school and her name, but for her safety it was agreed not to post that information.
Resources:
Tackling Bullying – Government of Canada
City of Thunder Bay Respect Campaign
