Sticks and Stonesâ¦

It may have been years since we stepped out onto the playground but do the harsh actions of it ever leave our memory? With bullying statistics at an all time high, Littlewoods Bingo examines the lasting effects of schoolyard bullying and how deep the name-calling actually cuts?

Children have always had that cruel ability to discriminate over the most trivial of matters. In today's world where people are accredited more so for materialistic standing than personal substance, prejudice amongst children is rife. Those without the latest high tech camera phones or 8GB video ipods are easy targets for the persecutors and without a massive bingo win, we as parents simply can't afford to equipment our kids with such extravagant luxuries.

As children we're told to ignore the name calling and mimicking but under the surface, these wounds can run deep and be the root for certain behaviour later on in life. And this is something that is starting to be recognized.

In February 2006, Sophie Amore won a £20,000 out-of-court settlement for the bullying she suffered at school. Persecuted from primary school, Sophie was left feeling anxious and terrified by social situations and she is by no means alone. There are people out there who are even intimidated by interacting with people in our bingo chat rooms.

The schoolyard is our first avenue for social interaction and it is here where we initially begin to establish ourselves as individuals. Victims of bullying, like Sophie, hear the abusive names day in day out and base their self-image around them, naturally resulting in low self-esteem.

Playground bullying erases a critical social opportunity. Targets of bullying are not able to interact well with their peers or feel comfortable within social situations. And so later in life the idea of a social event comes with a certain level of pressure, stirring associations of rejection and humiliation.

Surprisingly though, it's often the seemingly self-assured characters that struggle the most. The stereotyped image of a shy, stuttering recluse is somewhat misleading. Hannah* can understand this.

"To anyone who sees me in the pub, I am the confident brunette who doesn’t have a care in the world. Even my closest friends look to me as the joker of the pack. To me though it's a completely different story. I hide behind this confident exterior to distract away from my flaws."

This underlying feeling of social inadequacy tends to be the root of the majority of these cases and adopting a character is just one way to mask your insecurity. According to health psychologist Stephen Joseph, "Low self-confidence manifests itself in many different ways, but in the case of young women, it's likely to result in things like attention seeking, over sensitivity, an inability to cope with criticism and a fear of rejection.

Hannah told Littlewoods Bingo that she was bullied from the beginning of secondary school by a group of girls in the year above. The torment lasted for four years until the girls finished their exams and left the school. Yet even with a bullying-free year, the damage had already been done.

"I never really knew why they picked on me and came to conclusion there must just be something about me that people instantly disliked. When I went to college I created a different persona, one that I imagined people would like. So I make jokes and now it's almost like second nature. It's like putting on your makeup; you're presenting a person people won't be embarrassed to be around."

But by covering up your real feelings and pretending to be happy, actually makes you more fragile. With so much energy going on this act, the slightest thing could make you break down. And when this happens then those fears of judgement and rejection surface again.

The trick is to be honest about how you are feeling. It may sound simple to some but this is a huge step for many. Those who have been bullied are typically too scared to tell people how they are really feeling for fear of either criticism or social snubbing. They have grown up with the idea that the real them is not good enough, that the real them has something instantly dislikeable about them for large chunks of their lives. If this is the case, it's time for a dose of self-care.

Surround yourself with genuine and trustworthy people. Tell them how you are feeling and then really listen and take on board all the positive things they say about you.

Chloe* still remembers how difficult this was. "I was bullied on and off for the majority of secondary school by varying groups but it was when my so-called friends started doing it too, that's what really hurt. Bullying is always upsetting but when it comes from people you trusted, who you thought liked you, the betrayal runs deeper. These people actually know you and then they decide to turn â“ you develop a real complex."

Chloe's case also extended to college too. "I wasn't bullied at college. I made two really close friends, the kind of friends I was desperate for in school. But then they both got serious boyfriends and didn't have the time to spend with me. It touched that old nerve; that I was second best, that there was something wrong with me.

"Those times were really low. I went on to uni but distanced myself from people, opting for relationships rather than friendships. This made me feel worse though because I realised I was missing out. So I decided to take a big step and go and talk to someone about it. It was certainly not an easy step to take especially being a more solve your own problems kind of girl!

"But it helped and with their help I gradually rebuilt my self-esteem. It wasn't easy â“ there were definitely several tearful episodes but I can now comfortably list all the positive things there are about me instead of twisting things to see the negative."

Bullying is without doubt an awful and terrible time for those on the receiving end but Littlewoods Bingo is a firm believer that there's no need to be it's victim from then on in. Either with the help of friends, family or professionals, everyone can escape the vicious claws of bullying.

If you relate to anything that's been discussed here and want to spring-clean your life of those horrible bullies, click here to find a registered nearby counsellor. Alternatively, speak to your GP who can refer you to a qualified therapist.

Don't let the past hold you back. Address the problem so we can all get on with life the way it was intended â“gossiping with your bingo buddies in our chat rooms while playing our fun bingo games.