mental health

Bullying is surprisingly common, and occurs in most schools. Recent surveys have shown that over 25% of junior and middle school pupils and 10% of secondary school pupils are being bullied. There are many forms of bullying;

• Hitting or punching
• Kicking
• Tripping someone up
• Taking or spoiling someone else's things
• Name-calling
• Nasty teasing
• Nasty looks or threats
• Racist remarks
• Spreading nasty rumours or stories about someone else
• Not letting someone join in
• Sending someone to -?Coventry' (ignoring them)

One person or a group may carry out bullying, and the victims of bullying usually find it very hard to defend themselves. Unless something is done about it, bullying can go on for a long time.

If things have got so bad that you're thinking of ending it all, try to remember that no matter how bad things seem, there are always people who can help with any problem you might have. Many people, at some time in their lives, hit a low point where they think about suicide, and there are many places where you can get help. At a time like this, it's important that you don't hide yourself away from others. Tell somebody you trust how you feel - your best friend, or a member of your family, for example. Or, if you don't fancy talking things through face to face, call one of the helplines listed at the end of this chapter. The staff will have lots of experience dealing with people in crisis, they'll respect your feelings and keep things confidential.

Self-harm is a lot more common than you think. It covers many different acts that cause personal harm. These can range from cutting, burning, purposeful bruising and hair pulling to eating disorders and overdosing.

Self-harm is often caused by intense emotional pain that is difficult to express in any other way. It is not attention seeking, but does show that the person is in pain.

What to do about it?

The important thing is to find somebody to talk to - a friend, family member, your GP or a professional counsellor. There are contacts at the end of this section and you can also talk confidentially to the staff at Grapevine either by phone or in person. If you do self harm try to keep the injuries clean, avoiding further infections, especially if you have cuts.