Schoolgirl Bullying
Without Prejudice
I was 8, at a new school and wanted two things in life. To master the Monkey Bars and to be popular. I was at a School in a NSW country town, where most of the people knew each other from the time they were born. My family had not long moved there. Dad had a Panel Beating business in the town. Mum ran a cafe, milk bar.
We were all desperate to fit in, but my shyness for me was always a barrier. I shunned most social activities and preferred a good book to anything else. I was the biggest little book worm and whenever Mum wanted to find me she knew exactly where to look. In my room, reading. It became a family saying,
"Where's Janette?"
"In her room, reading "
My Mother decided to draw me out of myself and put me in Brownies which I hated. I felt inept at tying knots and making cakes, washing dishes and the thought of knocking on doors to do Bob A Job was totally out of my comfort zone and I flatly refused to do it. I hated camping and the great outdoors. I did meet some girls though, but none of them were friendly, more hateful than anything. Two of them, especially, who were best friends, Tammy and Rose, gave me a hard time.
One day I was endlessly having a turn on the Monkey Bars. It seemed to be a big thing to be able to master them and if I wanted to fit in I had to somehow conquer them. My hands were a mass of blisters week after week, but I was determined to learn the tricks. I could swing upside down by my legs ! Showing my knickers and climb the outside. But I needed to be able to master the taking of one hand off a bar and reaching for the next. My hands felt like they were weeping but finally I could take one hand off and support my weight as I reached for the next.
I felt triumphant that day.
I finally flopped to the ground as saw Tammy and Rose approaching. They were clapping their hands and calling.
"Well done, good girl"
I was shocked to say the least they barely spoke a word to me at any time and I couldn't help but have a big grin on my face. Tammy approached while Rose stood off to one side besdie me. Tammy beckoned me close,
"I need to tell you a secret", she said, all sweetness and light.
Wham suddenly she slapped me really hard across the face. I didn't see it coming and I literally saw stars. Wham, again but this time to the other side of my face and Rose had stepped up and grabbed my hands so I couldn't hit back. My face was on fire and I ducked the next slap and broke free from them both and ran for my life.
I ran and ran until I couldn't run any more. I cried, sobbing, once I had caught my breath. The humiliation and the shock overwhelming me. The viviousness on those girls faces I would remember for a while but it was more the betrayal that hurt. I didn't tell anyone. Just sucked it up as you do when you are friendless at that age. I was never to go near those girls, again and told Mum I was not going to Brownies anymore. About that I was adamant. in those days we still had the cane at school, and I so wanted to use it on those naughty schoolgirls.
I cried into my pillow after that, never telling people what was wrong as I knew they couldn't help. I had to help myself. After that I was determined to be the best, by being the best I could out smart those girls as I realised they were pretty dumb. So I romped home on all the tests and all the exams and made my self Top girl, time and time again. Being Top girl meant you had the top seat at the Head of the Class and people looked up to you.
I didn't realise how much it had affected me until I was at work. I worked at Empire Stores as a junior Clerk in the UK. No troubles there as I had come from a Grammar School to work and was treated differently to the Public School girls. When I went to work in Australia I worked for Myers and Target and had my own little departments to look after.
But when I was a grown Woman I went to work for a firm called J.J. Richards in Hallam. I came on board as a Credit Temp and shortly after I started I was asked by the Big Boss, Bill if I would take over the credit Department after a woman left suddenly. What an idiot I was to jump at the chance. The girls that were there had been there for a while and were a cliquey little group.
When I was made Supervisor the Boss just left me to it. And though I had heaps more experience than them, I was never ever going to live it down as far as they were concerned. They stopped talking to me, wouldn't listen to me. came in late, destroyed paperwork, it was a nightmare. They thought I was on $10,000 a year more than them. It was beyond my worst imaginings.
I had an oldest daughter by that time who had been through the exact same experience to me and she said,
"Resign"
I didn't want to I liked the work but going to work everyday was an absolute nightmare. It was High School Girl stuff of the worst kind. So in the end I wrote a letter of resignation. Just before I was to hand it in I called ome of the girls a name, I can't even remember now what it was. We had a new Services Manager and she called me over one day and repeated to me what the girl had told her. That I had called her this name.
All 3 of the women backed her up and faced me with it. there was no mention of their behaviour and they demanded I be sacked. I whipped out my letter of resignation in a gesture of
"here's one I prepared earlier"
Their faces went from vengeance to being pipped at the post. And as I left, I said, quietly,
"Ladies, I wont say it's been a pleasure!"
And ran, literally ran to my car laughing my head off at their stunned faces. The Big Boss rang me, he sacked them all, later, and asked me to come back.
"Not on your life", I said.
I'd finally conquered my fear of female bullying and I couldn't have been happier. And for that reason I hate working in all female environments, not neing mean but give me a male one anytime.
love Janette
I was 8, at a new school and wanted two things in life. To master the Monkey Bars and to be popular. I was at a School in a NSW country town, where most of the people knew each other from the time they were born. My family had not long moved there. Dad had a Panel Beating business in the town. Mum ran a cafe, milk bar.
We were all desperate to fit in, but my shyness for me was always a barrier. I shunned most social activities and preferred a good book to anything else. I was the biggest little book worm and whenever Mum wanted to find me she knew exactly where to look. In my room, reading. It became a family saying,
"Where's Janette?"
"In her room, reading "
My Mother decided to draw me out of myself and put me in Brownies which I hated. I felt inept at tying knots and making cakes, washing dishes and the thought of knocking on doors to do Bob A Job was totally out of my comfort zone and I flatly refused to do it. I hated camping and the great outdoors. I did meet some girls though, but none of them were friendly, more hateful than anything. Two of them, especially, who were best friends, Tammy and Rose, gave me a hard time.
One day I was endlessly having a turn on the Monkey Bars. It seemed to be a big thing to be able to master them and if I wanted to fit in I had to somehow conquer them. My hands were a mass of blisters week after week, but I was determined to learn the tricks. I could swing upside down by my legs ! Showing my knickers and climb the outside. But I needed to be able to master the taking of one hand off a bar and reaching for the next. My hands felt like they were weeping but finally I could take one hand off and support my weight as I reached for the next.
I felt triumphant that day.
I finally flopped to the ground as saw Tammy and Rose approaching. They were clapping their hands and calling.
"Well done, good girl"
I was shocked to say the least they barely spoke a word to me at any time and I couldn't help but have a big grin on my face. Tammy approached while Rose stood off to one side besdie me. Tammy beckoned me close,
"I need to tell you a secret", she said, all sweetness and light.
Wham suddenly she slapped me really hard across the face. I didn't see it coming and I literally saw stars. Wham, again but this time to the other side of my face and Rose had stepped up and grabbed my hands so I couldn't hit back. My face was on fire and I ducked the next slap and broke free from them both and ran for my life.
I ran and ran until I couldn't run any more. I cried, sobbing, once I had caught my breath. The humiliation and the shock overwhelming me. The viviousness on those girls faces I would remember for a while but it was more the betrayal that hurt. I didn't tell anyone. Just sucked it up as you do when you are friendless at that age. I was never to go near those girls, again and told Mum I was not going to Brownies anymore. About that I was adamant. in those days we still had the cane at school, and I so wanted to use it on those naughty schoolgirls.
I cried into my pillow after that, never telling people what was wrong as I knew they couldn't help. I had to help myself. After that I was determined to be the best, by being the best I could out smart those girls as I realised they were pretty dumb. So I romped home on all the tests and all the exams and made my self Top girl, time and time again. Being Top girl meant you had the top seat at the Head of the Class and people looked up to you.
I didn't realise how much it had affected me until I was at work. I worked at Empire Stores as a junior Clerk in the UK. No troubles there as I had come from a Grammar School to work and was treated differently to the Public School girls. When I went to work in Australia I worked for Myers and Target and had my own little departments to look after.
But when I was a grown Woman I went to work for a firm called J.J. Richards in Hallam. I came on board as a Credit Temp and shortly after I started I was asked by the Big Boss, Bill if I would take over the credit Department after a woman left suddenly. What an idiot I was to jump at the chance. The girls that were there had been there for a while and were a cliquey little group.
When I was made Supervisor the Boss just left me to it. And though I had heaps more experience than them, I was never ever going to live it down as far as they were concerned. They stopped talking to me, wouldn't listen to me. came in late, destroyed paperwork, it was a nightmare. They thought I was on $10,000 a year more than them. It was beyond my worst imaginings.
I had an oldest daughter by that time who had been through the exact same experience to me and she said,
"Resign"
I didn't want to I liked the work but going to work everyday was an absolute nightmare. It was High School Girl stuff of the worst kind. So in the end I wrote a letter of resignation. Just before I was to hand it in I called ome of the girls a name, I can't even remember now what it was. We had a new Services Manager and she called me over one day and repeated to me what the girl had told her. That I had called her this name.
All 3 of the women backed her up and faced me with it. there was no mention of their behaviour and they demanded I be sacked. I whipped out my letter of resignation in a gesture of
"here's one I prepared earlier"
Their faces went from vengeance to being pipped at the post. And as I left, I said, quietly,
"Ladies, I wont say it's been a pleasure!"
And ran, literally ran to my car laughing my head off at their stunned faces. The Big Boss rang me, he sacked them all, later, and asked me to come back.
"Not on your life", I said.
I'd finally conquered my fear of female bullying and I couldn't have been happier. And for that reason I hate working in all female environments, not neing mean but give me a male one anytime.
love Janette
