Bullying on a Skiing Holiday

Being bullied is never fun, and it can ruin plenty of things for plenty of people. In Year 9, I went on a week-long school skiing trip to the Italian Alps. I was lucky enough not to be bullied myself, but one of my friends was.

The bus trip was ok. Some things were thrown during the start of the journey, sweets and the like. A couple of the teachers yelled at the person they thought was the culprit, but was actually the victim. When things started up again, they realised their mistake and headed to the back of the bus. We'd been hoping for some screams of pain, but all we got were hushed tones. They seemed to do the job though, and things quieted down. We even enjoyed the film.

The brief bus stops were also OK; everybody was too busy making use of the time to stretch their legs. Actually arriving at the hotel was also fine, as people were too excited.

Once everyone was settled in their rooms, though, the trouble began anew. Three of my friends and I, including the one who this tale focuses around, heard a knock on our door. We opened it only to have fifteen people rush in, tip over our furniture and then rush out, attempting to steal our key card. We got the card, restored the furniture and organised a system in which we would all block the door should it happen again. We didn't think it was particularly likely to, but it did. Twice.

That was the build-up in this anecdote. The next part is the meat. On the first evening, we were taken to an ice-skating rink. Two of my friends and I were sceptical of going on ice whilst the people who'd been harassing us were wearing sharp metal blades on their feet. The fourth of our number was braver.

He went out onto the ice and, within five minutes, got shoved over and broke his wrist.

I'll repeat that, just so you're aware of exactly what happened: On the first night of a skiing trip, before any skiing had been done, my friend was pushed over and had his wrist broken. He got taken off to hospital.

What happened over the next few days must have been awful. It hadn't been easy for his family to get the money together to send him, and now he was spending the whole week sat on the slopes watching the rest of us ski past. He couldn't participate in most of the evening activities either, and the boy who, thinking it would be a bit of a laugh, pushed him over got nothing more than a talking to and was allowed to enjoy the rest of his holiday.

Matters were made worse by problems with the travel insurance and doctors misdiagnosing his broken wrist as a broken hand. The whole ordeal went on for months. It goes to show, bullying "for a laugh" can result in much more.

Tom Sangers regularly contributes to Online Travel Blog, a conpendium of travel information.