bayrose99/TwitterBeing bullied at school has always been a horrifying experience, and in the age of smartphones today’s teenagers have to contend with a much larger scale of bulying.
High school student Bailey was forced to text her mother after she realised her classmates were making fun of the way she looked in a dress.
Somebody by the name of Dylan had taken a cruel snapchat photo of her legs, with the caption ‘Thicc’.
IssaInfluencer/TwitterUnderstandably self conscious of her outfit, Bailey asked her mum to bring her a t shirt and jeans to wear instead, making a heartbreaking admission: ‘people are making fun of me and taking pictures of me and I wanna change.’
No parent expects or wants to receive such a message, and Bailey’s devoted mum promised to be there in just seven minutes. She made it in just five.
bayrose99/TwitterBailey’s story has since gone viral, with many people sharing the nasty snapchat pic along with the text exchange between the mum and daughter.
With so many people having suffered bullying during their schooldays, this story really struck a chord.
#FillUpFNBStadium#FillUpFBNStadium
While We Are Doing FillUpFNB Let's Also Put An End To Bullying
Retweet For Awareness pic.twitter.com/gfWA02LP0N
— IssaInfluencer (@IssaInfluencer) December 2, 2017
Plenty of people admired the Bailey’s mum’s supportive response, describing her as being an ‘amazing mom’ and a ‘hero.’
Another said:
As a mom I just loved how her mom responded. The world is filled with all kinds of humans.
And the kind that do this type ish really need to be dealt with. Her text broke my heart.
It was some dude, can you believe it? It's a shame because she looks beautiful and now she'll feel like she can't wear that. She has an amazing mom though
— Ally Nussbaumer (@numevitweets) December 3, 2017
? as a mom I just loved how her mom responded. The world is filled with all kinds of humans. And the kind that do this type ish really need to be dealt with. Her text broke my heart. ?
— Miss Avi?? (@Lativa_Ent) December 3, 2017
Bruu this is sad? but her MOM is a hero!!
— EknowCent (@Siya_Madondo) December 7, 2017
Other people were sickened by the body shaming of such a young person, describing the bully who took the pic as ‘insensitive’ and ‘pathetic.’
One frustrated person observed:
People can be very cruel. If she wears baggy clothes it’ll be said ku she’s letting herself go.
She’s wearing a dress w an appropriate length & she’s treated unkindly!!!
GOD!
We need to unlearn about the notions of body weight. .
She might be suffering from a condition, but they don’t know that. . People need to grow up.— Th. XX (@ThamiQumbisa) December 4, 2017
Yeah, and it never gets easier.. Bullying is just pathetic. ?
— Zikhona Zickie♥?? (@Zickie_S) December 4, 2017
Pure body shaming yoh?
— Sheabutter (@lwandlasambo) December 4, 2017
The is diversity in SIZE…People should Know and understand that!
— NtsakoMalatjie10 (@Pntsakow) December 3, 2017
People can be very cruel. If she wears baggy clothes it'll be said ku she's letting herself go. She's wearing a dress w an appropriate length & she's treated unkindly!!!
GOD! ? ?
Kasi swo yini? Ku tsika vanhu vanwana vati pina moyeni wa vona swiku tsonisa yini?— January 28th??? (@Nwamzamane) December 3, 2017
According to statistic from the NSPCC, over 16,000 children are absent from school because of bullying, with over 24,000 Childline counselling sessions with children due to bullying in 2016/17.
Bullying is a very serious issue, and can have a drastic effect on a person’s life; at any age.
According to StopBullying.gov:
Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:
1. Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.
2. Health complaints.
3. Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.
Body shaming and bullying are the worst, I can't. Probably the girl you just called fat the last time she had a proper meal was weeks ago. ?…. It's bad. I've had my part because of my forehead ?
— Snethemba Ngidi (@Sne_no1) December 3, 2017
Body shaming and Bullying are the worst
— Mapule (@patricia_malau) December 3, 2017
That's jus sad… With social media bullying is
20 times worse than before… You get from being dissed in your class to trending and memes on social networks…— trage O'bryan (@trage_o) December 3, 2017
Ryan told UNILAD the devastating effects bullying had on him at school:
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If any of the issues above have affected you, you can call Samaritans anytime, from any phone, free of charge on 116 123.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.