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The Scars of Bullying

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 I wasn’t bullied because I was short
I wasn’t bullied because I was fat
I wasn’t bullied because I was thin
I wasn’t bullied because I was black

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 I wasn’t bullied because I was Catholic
I wasn’t bullied because I was Buddhist
I wasn’t bullied because I was Muslim
I wasn’t bullied because I was athiest

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 I wasn’t bullied because I had a disability
I wasn’t bullied because my accent was different
I wasn’t bullied because I offended them
I wasn’t bullied because I couldn’t play football

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 I was bullied because bullying was tolerated
I was bullied because they thought they were tough
I was bullied because adults LOOKED AWAY
I was bullied, because they could.

Notes

I have recently completed a seminar paper on Anti-Bullying Strategies used in schools that was based on the recently published report commissioned by ChildLine (www.childline.org). The most important points to come out of the report are that children want to see ACTIONS not words to combat bullying, and that they (the children) want Childline to conduct a follow up report to see what actions have been put in place. The biggest fear the children have is that the report will become a dust magnet on an unused desk.

What saddened me more than anything about the findings highlighted in the report was that, as a victim of bullying myself as a child, the attitudes of many adults today remains the same, basically “do nothing hope it goes away”. The dangers of trivialising such anti social and destructful behaviour cannot be underestimated.

The whole culture of tolerance that surrounds bullying needs to be addressed, and changed. It is NOT character buidling to be a victim of bullying; bullying DESTROYS LIVES.

Footballers speak out these days on so many social issues, and rightly so, and I know many of the players carry out duties in the community to help children that goes unreported (these things don’t sell papers do they?) but I think if players and role models and icons like Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard, John Terry et al spoke out about bullying it would make such a difference, even more so if one of these football heroes had been a victim themselves. Nothing inspires others more than hearing of how other people have dealt with trauma and difficulties and overcome them. It would certainly give so many children confidence and security and knowledge that they were not alone, and that being bullied is not a defecit on their part, it is the bullies themselves who are wrong.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/the-scars-of-bullying/