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Old Jan 07, 2007, 07:29 PM
Anonymous23
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Having a discussion the other day with someone in Chat, i was reminded of a time when being me, being good got me hurt, badly...

about 2 years ago i had a friend who was being badly bullied in school (2 years ago i was 17, nearly 18, she was about 16) and i had just started full time work. we met through a mutual friend who knew how supportive and helpful i was, so he put me in touch with her. we got talking and became good friends, we knew eachother for about 8 months in total, and all this time she used to tell me (over MSN, we never met in person) how unhappy she was because of this harsh bullying she had in school. they used to beat her, everything. i tried helping her by advising she speak to the school, which she did and they didnt help. so one day i decided to contact the school. i emailed the headmaster and told him about her, lets call her Sammi, and i explained to him that she felt suicidal because of this bullying, which was the truth. this all was happenign at a time when a kid had just killed themselves through bullying and it was all over the news, it happened in adifferent schol, different area of the country, but it was a big issue at the time. when i explained the situation to the headmaster, he said he would sort it out, and asked who i was. i explained how i knew Sammi, and that i had been bullied before, so i knew how bad it was, i said that i was the one that had to help her everyday, to advise her not to kill herself, to pick her up everyday. gave me a lot of practice that did! well he said "ok, leave it to me" and so i did. about a month later things were no different, and Sammi was still suicidal. i hadnt mentioned to her that i had contacted the school, i dont know why, i just thought she didnt need to know it was me that helped. the bullying was still happening, so i decided to contact the headmaster again to make him aware the bullying was still severe and she still felt suicidal. he got quite hasty with me, abit harsh. he asked why i was so interested, to which i replied "im not interested, im just trying to help, she wants to die, and i thought you had the right to know so you could try to help". then i didnt hear anything from him. normally me and Sammi would speak everyday, it became routine. but that day she didnt come online. i thought nothing of it and left it until the next day, the next day came round and she didnt log on, so i text her and asked if she was ok...still no answer. a few days passed and i hadnt heard anything, so i got in touch with our mutual friend, who - to my horror - told me that the school had called in Sammi, and her parents, to let them be aware that I was "abit too keen" and they called me a peodophile. she was advised she stay away from me. they labelled me a peodophile for trying to help a friend. they labbelled me something i had been a victim of myself. she never spoke to me again, and nearly 3 years on, i havent heard from her once. she thinks i am a peodophile, and so does the school.

mybe i was too helpful, maybe i tried the wrong approach, but i was never doing any of that with the intention of getting "involved" with her sexually. she was a friend, a friend i cared about obviously. i didnt want her to hurt anymore.

she never got in touch to ask why i tried to help, or to ask my side of the arguement, instead she labbelled me a peodophile and never spoke to me again.

i emailed her afterwards to explain everything, and to express my outrage. i heard nothing. i also contacted the school to express my utter disappointment in them. i heard nothing.

she was seriously bullied, and instead of the school focusing on sorting out this cruelty, they focused on me and accused me of being something i wasnt, and never will be. to this day i have no idea how she is, whether the bullying stopped, or even if she ever did attempt suicide. im hoping she didnt, and that the bullying stopped.

i will never get over being called a peodophile, as i had been the victim, like i said. it hurt me more than i ever let on, and i had to bottle it up, i felt i couldnt speak to family about it, what would i say? "oh, by the way dad, ive been accused of being a peodophile!". and that conversation i had the other day in Chat bought it back, maybe thats why i had that anger outburst friday, maybe thats why i have been so down this weekend, who knows...i dont. to be good is good, but obviously not to everyone.

simon