‘Ditch the Label’ founder recalls horrific assault by bullies
By Will Stroude
The founder of Ditch the Label has recalled the horrific bullying he experienced in his school days which inspired him to set up the anti-bullying charity.
Speaking to Attitude’s special edition teen mag aTEEN, 23-year-old Liam Hackett says that many schools still “whitewash and fail to admit that they have a bullying issue within their environment.”
Recounting the verbal and physical abuse he suffered himself as a teen, Liam says: “I will always recall an incident which resulted in me being rushed to hospital to have my face stitched up.
“I had two guys hold my hands back whilst a third guy rammed my head continuously into a car bonnet. At the time, I had a feeling that I was about to die, and the sad part is I was secretly relieved that I might.”
“After having my face stitched up and reporting it to the police, my school told me that they could not intervene as it happened outside of the school gates,” he adds.
Liam founded anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label in 2012, which works across the UK with schools, colleges, young people, parents and organisations towards our objective of helping to combat bullying and to promote the importance of equality and diversity.
You can read the full interview with Liam in Attitude’s digital-only special magazine aTEEN, which also includes interviews with former TOWIE star Charlie King, Union J’s Jaymi Hensley and more.
aTEEN comes free with the latest digital issue of Attitude – The Pop Issue – and you can also download the full 190-page, ad-free special edition magazine separately to you mobile, iPad or tablet device for £1.99 at pocketmags.com.
