Swindon teen beats cyber-bullies

A teenager from Swindon who was bullied online by people she thought were her friends has made a film showing how cyber-bulling can ruin lives.

17 year old Sophie Thorne was bullied on the internet and through text messages. The abuse lowered her self-esteem so much that she self-harmed.

Action is now being taken against the bullies after support from her family and friends. 

Sophie has been working with the charity fixers which support 16 to 25 year olds throughout the UK to take action and change things for the better.

The film warns people about cyber-bullying and the effects it can have on others. It's called 'Speak Up' which shows how cyber-bullying can affect someone, making them hide away and not want to go out. It also shows how important it is to tell someone what's going on, so that they can help take action against the bullies. 

Sophie says:

'Doing a project with Fixers has really boosted my confidence with speaking out about my personal experience. I have met some lovely and inspiring people along my journey and I can't wait for it to be launched. 

'I'm really hoping that it shows people how cyber bulling can affect other people. I hope it will go far and help lots of other young people going through it. 

'I want to make people aware and try to prevent cyber bullying as much as I can.' 

Sophie Thorne speaks to Heart about Cyber-Bullying

You can read more of Sophie's story here: