by Marie Yates
Dani, the main character in the book, Reggie and Me, has a tough time
when she starts her new school in Year Eleven. One of the things she has to face is bullying. A group of girls decided to make Dani the target for their vindictive, hurtful behaviour.
As if starting a new school wasn’t difficult enough, Dani is forced to endure being singled out and frightened on a daily basis. The bullying Dani experienced was psychological and verbal before also turning physical.
Dani, like many young people, found it difficult to speak to anyone about the fact she was being bullied. It impacted on her health and wellbeing, her studies suffered and she felt completely alone. The fear that she experienced left her numb, she would find herself shaking and she would walk around with her head down, avoiding eye contact. The impact that bullying had on Dani transcended school and impacted on every area of her life.
Coping became a daily mission and finally, Dani found the strength to tell someone about what the girls at school were doing. When Dani talked it through, she was able to look at the situation a little more objectively. She could begin to come up with strategies to cope and over time she regained her strength and started to hold her head up high again.
Dani had a role model who inspired her and made a significant difference in the way that she dealt with the bullies. She began to focus on personal discipline and creating her own
success. As she did this, she became stronger and built upon her existing strength and resilience. One day at a time, Dani was able to become her own role model.
The bullies are featured throughout the story as weak cowards. They saw vulnerability in Dani and chose to exploit it. For any young person who is experiencing bullying, they will find hope in Dani’s story. The vulnerabilities that the bullies have identified are the very qualities that give strength, resilience and humility. These are the qualities that will enable success and the qualities that are admired and celebrated.
Anti-Bullying Week offers an opportunity to educate and develop strategies to combat bullying. I hope that Dani can support young people through her story and present strategies of her own that will offer hope.
For more information about Anti-Bullying Week please visit: http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
eBook £3.99 || $6.99
Oct 31, 2014. 978-1-78279-722-7.
Paperback £6.99 || $11.95
Oct 31, 2014. 978-1-78279-723-4.
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