Moving schools- anxiety and bullying

[littlesheep]

Hi, I am a 14 year old girl in year 8 and lately i've been experiencing quite a bit of stress and anxiety at school. This first started about 6 months ago when my close friends mum screamed and shouted at my mum and I, telling us that I was a horrible person and other cruel things. This girl and I aren't friends any more but we are in the same home room at school, and her mum works as an ea too. Every time I see one of them at school, I tense up and start worrying and sweating. I don't really have any other friends that respect me or treat me how i'd like. I've tried talking to my mum about it, and she suggests that I am not trying hard enough to make an effort with other people. I am a competitive horse rider and I ride and train every day of the week, so I find it hard to find time to socialise on weekends. Lately I've been looking at other school options so I can have a fresh start and kind of get on with it a bit, but the next nearest high school is a 50 minute bus ride away. There is one public school which would be preferable to my family in terms of financials, but no busses go from my town directly to the school. The two other private schools would cost thousands of dollars, but i know a few people who go there.

I have tried bringing up the subject with my parents but they say that it wouldn't be possible for me to move due to my training commitments. One of my friends who goes to one of the private schools still manages to catch the bus home and then still train, and I feel like I could do that too, but my parents aren't keen on the idea 😕

Hope someone could give me some advice, thanks (:

[SMYN]

I do feel for you. Schools by their very nature are competitive and so it's hard to make friends. I wonder if you went to this girl, said you'd recognised that things weren't working but being friendly enough just to smile at each other in passing might help the lack of friendship just settle into the past, no friendship needed, just a way of creating peace. You'd have to screw up your courage to do this but it is like training, you just accept it takes an effort and get on with it. If you can do it and it works, you'll feel better and if it doesn't, you just keep smiling gently because you will know inside that you faced a fear and dealt with it. I'm sure you do that when riding all the time. Changing schools won't take the problem away. If you don't have friends, grab an apple and a good book to pass the time away. This won't go on forever and staying calm as if you are riding will help you get through. Bullying by groups needs to be faced differently and social media is either a pleasant sharing or shut it down. It is up to you to live in trepidation or face a fear with the courage and determination which has made you the rider you are. that is your core strength, draw on it.