RHONA’S STORY ‘HORRID’ BULLIES GAVE ME TOUGH TIME AT AGE OF 8

RHONA Christie was bullied at school and even now, as a 22-year-old student who has just finished four years at Edinburgh University, she is ridiculed by strangers because of a disfigurement.

Rhona, from Banff, was born with a cleft lip and palate – a common defect.

She said: “I had the corrective operations but they have left me with a few scars and an unusual appearance. My nose is a bit different to most people’s.

“I was standing at a bus stop last summer and two young men walked past and one said, ‘Look at the nose on that’ before nudging the other and walking away.

“I am quite fortunate. I don’t often hear anything like that in Edinburgh which is why I am quite comfortable here. But I heard things like that before I moved.”

Rhona remembers one “horrid” incident at the hands of school bullies. She said: “This girl asked me to smile, so I did. “She started laughing and asked all her friends to look at me and started mocking me because my teeth looked very different. “However, I am a naturally confident person. I could have been affected by my childhood experiences but they have not damaged me. “I would really love this campaign to be positive in helping prevent bullying.”