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BULLY FOR YOU
I spent many hours alone in my bedroom as a child because of a nasty little madam called Louise who lived on our estate. In between sporadic episodes of being nice, she’d suddenly dig her fingernails into my neck, throw stones at me or pull my hair and get the other kids in our group to chant ‘We’re not your friend’. No one was particularly brave enough to stand up to her in case she picked on them next.
Then there was Gary, the local delinquent at primary school who decided to chase me after class and try to beat me up. By then I’d become a bit more resourceful: I flattered him and let him put his hands down my knickers and he decided I was ‘all right’. Come to think of it, that’s been a useful strategy in getting a girlfriend, but I digress.
Even though I had some nasty incidents, it was never bad enough for me to consider taking my own life. Unlike 13-year-old Megan Meier, who hanged herself after being sent cruel messages and dumped by what she thought was a new cyber-friend ‘Josh’, also 13, but was in fact a fake Myspace profile created by a mother and her daughters living in Megan’s neighbourhood.
Or Christine Hodder who killed herself allegedly because of a long-term campaign of bullying against her by fellow NSW Ambulance Services employees. Or the thousands of other people, young and adult, whose lives have become so unbearable by another person or persons’ bullying commit suicide rather than continually face a life of torment.
Bullying is rife in schools, with queer youth receiving more than their fair share of abuse. So it was particularly disappointing to see a bully rewarded on national television recently. I’m talking about 16-year-old Demelza Reveley, who was crowned Australia’s Next Top Model a couple of weeks ago. During the show Demelza was the ringleader of a group of girls who behaved appallingly towards a quiet and slightly eccentric 17-year-old student called Alamela. Viewers witnessed Demelza reduce Alamela to tears by water bombing her and tipping water on her head. Alamela has since said that off screen the bullying was much worse, with Demelza and her self-described band of ‘bitchketeers’ putting condoms filled with mayonnaise in her bed and chilli in her breakfast. Alamela’s father told AAP she would hide for hours under a desk to get away from them.
I love watching Australia’s Next Top Model and a certain amount of bitchiness is to be expected when you put a bunch of girls in a house, competing against each other for a prize. But this season went too far. Parents and anti-bullying campaigners are understandably upset about Demelza being rewarded for her naff behaviour. It sends out the message that bullies win, especially if they’re pretty.
Let's hope she doesn't get hold of a phone any time soon.
Katrina Fox
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