Overcoming bullying trauma with NSPCC's Young People’s Board for Change member Rachel

I’m Rachel and I’m 15 years old, and a member of the NSPCC’s Young People’s Board for Change. The board is made up of 15 young people and we help steer and advise the work of the NSPCC.

This week is Anti-Bullying week which is an issue that is important to me because I've experienced bullying firsthand for my entire primary school career. It has majorly impacted my life and how I socialise with other people and I don't want anyone else to feel like that if I can possibly help it. 

When it comes to helping young people that have been bullied, understandably I think there’s a lot of focus on how to deal with the situation whilst it’s happening.

However, I think that can leave a lot of people feeling confused about how to deal with it when they are no longer in that situation, but they still feel affected by what happened to them.

I think it’s important for any young person who has or is being bullied to remember it’s a recovery process, and that you shouldn’t feel weak if it is still affecting you further down the line. Something that helped me was deciding to go to therapy to talk through everything that happened.

Talking about your feelings with an adult you can trust can help things feel more manageable and the NSPCC’s Childline counselling service is here for you to do this. It’s important to remember that you are never weak for needing help and it’s always ok to reach out, which is the focus of Anti-Bullying week this year.

No matter what type of bullying you are facing, I want all young people in this situation to remember it’s not your fault.

I understand that bullying is complicated, and you might feel worried that you are to blame, or you might feel like you’ve done something wrong, however, I want you to know that this is not your fault.

For any young person that is struggling with bullying, I’d advise you to talk to an adult you can trust or turn to Childline.

The service is here for all young people, and you can call and speak to a counsellor on 0800 1111 or chat to someone online at childline.org.uk at any time of day or night.

Equally you can find lots of resources on the Childline website or speak to other young people who are in a similar position on Childline’s monitored message boards.