WHAT does rapper Eminem have in common with Tom Cruise, or Buffy's kung-fu kicking Sarah Michelle Gellar with Orlando Bloom? Despite being some of the world's best paid, toughest stars, they were all bullied at school.

Bullying is still a problem in schools, colleges and even at work in Scotland. It takes various forms, anything from getting nasty texts, to being intimidated or excluded from a group, or even physical violence.

Statistics and research show that there are less incidents of bullying being reported - so the problem does seem to be getting better.
But lot of people still suffer from it.

Donna MacKinnon, who is a specialist on young people at Health Scotland, says: "People are increasingly aware of bullying, and that bullying is not just physical attack. It can be verbal, name calling, it can be isolating someone from the group, it can be a threatening look. You can have an individual bullying another person or a group bullying someone."

She believes that bullying can have longlasting effects on people.

"We know that if you are bullied as a child you might have higher levels of loneliness and emotional distress as you get older, and that some people who have been bullied in their younger years have difficulty forming relationships further down the line, " says Donna.
"The more immediate effects are physical harm and lowered self esteem."

Fiona left school at 16 because she was being bullied. "I really love music and was really into grunge and metal bands, which no-one else was at the time. " Fiona was teased by some of the boys in her class, and found it hard to make friends with the girls.

"In my year, I was the only Goth. When I was 13, it was at its worst - I got my bag stolen, notes were left for me all the time on my desk saying horrible things, people followed me home from school. I was truanting to get away from them, which got me into trouble with the school and my parents, which made everyone pick on me more . . . it was a really tough time, " she says.

Fiona didn't tell anyone about what was happening to her. She regrets this now. "I didn't want to make a fuss about it. I wish I had told someone now because I'm very angry about the way I was treated - it took me a long time to get back the confidence that the people in my year had taken away from me, " she says.

"My parents knew I wasn't happy but I didn't want the bullying to get worse if they came to the school and made a fuss."

But Radio 1's Emma B says that is the wrong way to deal with bullying. "On the Sunday Surgery we get calls all the time from people who are struggling to cope with bullying. You have to tell someone!" she yells.

Emma B has spoken to lots of young people who have even been bullied by text or video phone.
"That is something that makes me really angry - it would be bad enough if you were getting bullied at school during the day without it coming home with you as well, " she says.

"People - girls especially, actually - can be nasty and cruel, and spread gossip and rumours about other people. What I've found at the Sunday Surgery is that, in fact, lots of bullies have been bullied themselves, and are just copying the behaviour."

She adds: "If you don't tackle bullying head-on then it's easy to start thinking that you maybe deserve it, and then the problem follows you to university or to work - I was bullied at work years ago, and I had to leave my job.

"If you don't think you can tell a teacher then tell a friend or an auntie or a cousin or whatever - just pick someone who will listen to you, but don't keep it a secret."

Radio 1 is running an anti-bullying campaign, which loads of celebrities have signed up to.
Steven Gerrard, Natasha Bedinefield and U2's Bono are all wearing blue wristbands to show that bullying just isn't cool.

Emma B says: "Wearing a blue band is a sign that people are standing together against bullying. If you have the wristband on at school or at work then people will talk about it and then it gets the problem out in the open."

Donna agrees that bullying is something that can be fixed. "Schools are encouraged to tackle bullying and a formal anti-bullying policy will be found in most schools, " she says.

Bannerman High School in Ballieston, Glasgow, runs one of those schemes. Called the Bannerman Buddies, fifth and sixth years are paired with first year pupils to help them settle in, and are there to offer help and support. Younger pupils can confide in their Buddy and get help from teachers to stop bullying. Lots of schools run similar schemes.

Donna says: "No matter how hard it might seem, talk to someone about bullying.

"If you feel you really can't speak to another in person, it's definitely worth calling Childline who are very experienced in dealing with bullying."

The bully's tale Allan, 25, lives in Inverness. He was a bully at school.

MY friend Tommy and I picked on another boy when we were between about 11 and 14 - he was in our class and got on the bus from where we lived.

At the start of high school I suppose we did bully him quite badly - pushing him about, and daring him to fight us. He wasn't part of the rugby team at school and was quite scruffy - we just disliked him, there was really no reason for it at all.

By 14 though, we were all getting physically bigger and Tommy and I actually discussed one day how awful it would be if we hurt him.

We were thinking more about the consequences for us than him . . . I am really ashamed of the way I behaved because I've been a teaching assistant overseas, and I've seen what bullying can do to a young person's self-esteem.

If I met him now, even although its been years and years, I would apologise - I was young, but I was out of order.

What's their problem?

They are showing off, and trying to seem tough They might have their own problems fitting in, or family problems at home They might be frightened of getting bullied themselves, so get in there first They might be jealous of you Weird as it sounds, sometimes being friendly and kind to the bully can help stop the cycle