People

Abbi is only 15 years-old but already runs her own award winning website which tackles issues of school bullying.

The Hinckley student was inspired to set up the site after experiencing the misery of being a bullying victim through much of her primary school life.

Abbi's Story

BBC Leicester's Rupal Rajani met up with Abbi to hear the full story for herself...

Plus watch the anti-bulling film Abbi made for BBC Video Nation...

The bullying first started at Abbi's primary school in Coventry, which she stayed in until the age of eight.

She remembers it as a confusing and upsetting time:

"It started off at such a young age that I didn't really understand what it was.

"I thought I was the person who was doing wrong and I thought I had to change."

Abbi in 2006

Speaking Out

When the verbal abuse turned physical Abbi realised she could no longer keep the bullying a secret:

"I hadn't said anything to anybody because I was so scared, and eventually after four years I spoke out because I just couldn't take anymore."

Abbi's mum Alison told BBC Leicester's Rupal Rajani that she had no idea what had been happening to her young daughter...

"When she initially told me [there was a feeling of] shock and then anger, because you're not there at that time to shout at whoevers doing it."

It took a lot of courage for Abbi to tell her parents want had been going on at the school, but there were battles yet to come as the school's headteacher failed to believe the bullying claims:

"I was always known for good behaviour, good reports, good remarks... but people still didn't believe me because they thought 'She's just making it up, she's young, she just wants attention'."

Taking Action

It took the assistant head witnessing two boys kicking her in the back for the school to take action, but by this time Abbi had decided she wanted a fresh start in a new school.

"Go in there, demand to see the headteacher, sit down and discuss it your child, you and the headteacher.

"If you find you don't get any joy form that then go to the Education Department, but don't just except what the school tell you."

Unfortunately Abbi did not settle into the Hinckley junior school as well as she hoped, and her bullying experience continued for another year.

When Abbi reached Year 6 things started to take a turn for the best when she joined a peer support group and became head of the school council.

For Abbi it was great to finally be truly excited about going to school:

"Any problems from my past, although they were still with me in my head, didn't seem as scary for me to try and confront myself."

Now Abbi is helping hundred of other victims of bullying on her award-winning website, an arrangement Alison feels is positive in more than one way:

"I think it's helped Abbi to give something back. To think 'Well I've come through it. I am now in this position, you could be in this position.'"