Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Schoolgirl almost bullied to death
Thirteen-year-old’s nightmare
A Monklands schoolgirl says bullies have driven her to the brink of suicide.
In a shocking admission that shames not only her teenage tormentors but every adult who has let her down, the distraught 13-year-old claims she has been subjected to a sustained campaign of vile verbal abuse – and was even knocked unconscious when a full bottle of juice was thrown at her.
The youngster says name-calling and goading – including sickening taunts encouraging her to “slit her throat” – led her to contemplate taking her own life.
The polite and articulate Coatbridge High pupil has missed months of schooling since starting the secondary last year and is currently signed off by her GP due to “depression and suicidal thoughts”.
Now, with national anti-bullying week approaching, both she and her mum want the school and local authority to address the issue which has left her terrified of returning to education.
A young girl dreads going back to school because she fears the bullies who caused her to have “suicidal thoughts” will restart their campaign of cruelty against her.
The 13-year-old – who dreams of being a lawyer – says she endured a nightmare first year at Coatbridge High and spent several months at home after being targeted by a group led by a fellow female pupil.
The youngster had hoped for a better second year after her main tormentor moved schools. However, her optimism proved premature when the boys who’d previously made her life a misery escalated their intimidation.
Now she hasn’t been to school in almost a month and says the ordeal has made her so unhappy she thought about taking her own life.
The polite and articulate teenager told the Advertiser: “I used to love going to school. Now the thought of it terrifies me. I’ve been called ‘ugly’, a ‘slut’, and a ‘whore’; told I was a ‘disease’ that would be ‘taken care of’ and threatened with being slashed. I’ve also been told to put myself out of my misery and slit my own throat.
“It got so bad that I thought about killing myself. The only thing that stopped me was knowing that if I did then they’d have won.”
The youngster says her torment began at the start of her first year at the school.
She explained: “One girl, who was always in trouble and getting into fights, started bullying me. She would hit me and call me names and get others to start on me too. One time in class she lifted up my skirt and told boys to touch me. I complained but the school did absolutely nothing. Another time, she slammed my head against a wall and I ended up being told off for pushing her away.”
The girl says a group of boys then started to pick on her too and the situation became so bad she told her mum she couldn’t go back to school after the Christmas holidays.
From January until April the youngster, then aged 12, didn’t attend any classes. She claims the school failed to regularly send her work to complete at home, despite repeated requests by her mum.
She said: “I was made to feel like somehow
this was my fault and that ‘ it’s only namecalling’. But would anyone want to go somewhere they were being picked on daily?”
After four months the youngster returned to Coatbridge High after learning from her friends the girl had left.
She continued: “Things were okay at first but soon the same boys started calling me horrible names. I reported them but it didn’t stop.”
Before the start of the summer holidays verbal abuse became physical, when a bottle was thrown at her head.
She said: “There was a group of around 10 boys involved. When it hit me I passed out and my friends had to carry me to the first aid room.”
The girl says despite police involvement and reassurances the bullying had been dealt with, the vile taunts intensified when she returned for second year. At the beginning of last month it all became too much and she threatened to take her own life.
Now recovering at home, the youngster wants the school to address the problem that a damning recent Holyrood report described as “on the increase”.
She said: “The school needs to accept this is happening and do something about it. Until then, I don’t feel I can go back.”
Coatbridge High head teacher Janie O’Neill said: “We take all allegations of bullying very seriously and will always investigate them thoroughly and, where necessary, take appropriate action.
“This is a highly sensitive and complex issue concerning one of our pupils and it would be inappropriate at this time to discuss the details through the media.
“We are working very closely with colleagues from the council’s education services to address any concerns and, in addition to our own anti-bullying policy, we have a range of support services available through our partner agencies. We will continue to provide full support to all our pupils.”
“As a school we have a very nurturing approach and we always try our upmost to reach a resolution.”
Coatbridge & Chryston MSP Fulton MacGregor added: “I ‘m unable to comment on individual cases but am confident the head teacher and staff at Coatbridge High will treat any allegations or instances of bullying in a robust, professional manner.”