‘My hands were full of her hair’: How I became a bully

08/17/22 • 16 min

Lucia's story with bullying began in high school. After being briefly bullied herself, she made a vow to never let anyone bully her or her friends again. Lucia would strike first. In this episode of Harmful, we explore why people become bullies. By understanding the motives behind bullying behaviours, we can shift our focus towards finding solutions.

Previous Episode

‘I'm helpless’: How do parents cope with the impact of bullying on their children?

In this episode of Harmful, we learn how three mothers - Ruth, Becky and Lara - coped while supporting their children who were being bullied at school. Ruth’s son was only twelve years old when he tried to end his own life because of the bullying he faced. Becky never imagined how much watching her son being bullied would test her perseverance. Racism and bullying forced Lara and her family out of rural Victoria, searching for a new school community that would offer a sense of belonging. Instead, her son continues to be ostracised.

Next Episode

'We couldn’t save him': The impact of cyberbullying on an entire community

In this episode of ‘Harmful’, we’re telling the story of Allem Halkic. Allem was taunted and threatened online through social media posts and text messages before he ended his life. His death came as a huge shock to his family and loved ones. Allem was the first cyberbullying victim in Australia to be recognised as a victim of crime in the Melbourne courts. His story highlights the devastating impact that cyberbullying can have on individuals and entire communities.