School Bullies Body Shamed Me - Samantha 21

School- a peaceful place
My name is Samantha, and I started experiencing bullying immediately after I joined form one in a mixed school. I lived with a guardian who cared for my basic needs, but she was not very nice to me. We often disagreed, and I looked forward to joining secondary school because I thought that at least when I was there, I would get a break from the complex situation at home since I would leave home earlier and go back later. In addition, I knew that school would be more peaceful, and I would make new friends and get new experiences.

The three boys and I
I met these three boys who wanted me to be their friend. We walked home together after school most days, but they had this behaviour of changing from their school uniform into regular, civilian clothing as soon as we walked out of the school gate. They said that they did not want to be identified as students. This made me very uncomfortable because the head teacher had warned students against this behaviour. Hanging out with these guys always made me feel uneasy. I was always in my school uniform, walking with guys who were not in uniform late in the evening. I felt unsafe and started avoiding them and withdrawing from that relationship.

My unfotunate nickname "donkey"
Avoiding them comes with negative consequences. They made fun of me in front of the school and often body-shamed me. They would grab my buttocks and breasts in public, and the rest of the students watched and laughed. They even tore my books, which got me into trouble because I could not turn in my assignments, and I got punished. They made me do all their assigned work duties in school and nicknamed me Donkey.

Dealing drugs
School life was very miserable, and my performance was abysmal. I could not tell anyone what I was going through because these boys threatened to hurt me if I said anything. So I continued to do as they asked so that they could leave me alone. I discovered that they were dealing drugs in and out of school when they started giving me packages to deliver around. One time I got curious and opened a box, and that is when I realized that they had been using me to peddle drugs! I was very shocked, and my whole body was shaking. The panic I experienced was so much. I cannot even begin to describe it.

“… they kicked and punched me till I passed out…”
As I processed the situation, the boys suddenly appeared and told me they had been following me to ensure their deliveries were being made. They asked me why I opened something that did not belong to me, and then they started beating me up. They kicked and punched me until I passed out, and then they left me there, bleeding on the side of the road.
A fellow student found me in that state and called for help. I was taken to the local hospital where I was attended to. I had to explain what had happened to my guardian and the head teacher. The three boys were arrested for assault and drug peddling, and I was relieved that they were far from me and could not hurt me anymore. At the hospital, a counsellor came to have sessions with me to help me process everything that happened.

Back to school
After recovery, I went back to school. The headteacher had warned the students against any form of bullying, and the consequences for this would be expulsion. He also asked the students to freely report any bullying they experienced or witnessed and promised to take appropriate action against the bullies. Things were different with the three boys gone. Life was more accessible, and my performance improved because I could now focus on my studies.

Report bullies
My message to anyone going through bullying is to find a trusted person and report the incident. It could be someone in authority, like a head teacher or your parents and guardians, who can then take action against the bullies. Bullying can also affect your performance at school, and it is helpful to talk to a counsellor who can help you heal from the negative experiences brought about by bullying.