Our columnist this week is a 15-year-old pupil at Pudsey Grangefield School, Kim Farrar.

Bullying is one of the biggest problems around and thousands of teenagers have to face it everyday. No-one should have to live their lives feeling unsafe and under threat, everyone is entitled to live their lives without feeling bullied.

There are many types of bullying - text bullying, abusive phone calls, name calling, threats, harassment - and sometimes it also gets physical, the bully may take belongings or even start pushing and attacking the victim, but no matter how hard people try to end it, I personally think that bullying is impossible to stop.

It may not be you that is the victim, but maybe it is one of your friends. Are any of your friends getting upset about the thought of going to school? Are they saying that they are "unwell" and wanting to go home all the time?

Are they being quieter than usual and a lot more aware of people around them? Are there any unexplained cuts or bruises? If the answer is yes to any of these, help your friend get through it, they shouldn't go through it alone.

I have been bullied many times over a period of five years and in the end the bully nearly always apologises, but sometimes this isn't the case. Sometimes the bully will want to take it further, and will not want to stop hurting your feelings.

My friend helped me to solve my problem by inviting me to start a self-defence class in Tang Soo Do. I decided to join and it has helped me very much. Karate has taught me a lot, and now I learn to deal with my bullies by standing up to them. Self-defence isn't the only way in which bullying can be prevented, there are many helplines that you can call - try talking to a parent or another friend who is maybe going through the same thing, but you should never have to handle bullying on your own!

Now that I know how to handle them, and now that bullies know that I can handle them, I hardly get bullied anymore. Believe me, you won't regret doing something about being bullied, I am a lot happier now, and you can be too.

So here's some advice. If the bully is calling you names, ignore them or agree with them - you and your friends know what they're saying isn't true, they will soon get bored, and move on.

If something is stolen from you, don't hesitate to report it, and please don't worry about what the bullies say when you tell someone. If the bullying goes further than this and you are receiving threats and violence, it isn't for you to handle.

Remember, the main reasons bullying occurs is due to race, religion, sexuality, the way people look or because the victim is bright and intelligent, but most of the time, the real reason why you are bullied is because the bully is jealous of you.

If you want to solve your problem and join Tang Soo Do, it is held on Mondays from 8.30pm to 10.15pm (usually for adults) and Fridays from 6.30pm to 8.15pm (this class is for younger children) at Pudsey Leisure Centre.

For more information on Tang Soo Do and if you want to see if there is a session near you, visit: www. uktsdf. org. uk/about/main. htm