And each day, they set off for school with far more baggage than just the backpack slung over their shoulder. They don’t dare speak of their pain or they’ll be marginalised even further, either belted by their tormenters or branded a “dobber”.

For many of us, the passage of time has dulled the brutal reality of life in the playground.

It was and still is a theatre of cruelty for those kids unlucky enough to be perceived by bullies as weak.

For all the advancements we’ve made towards stamping out bullying, it still casts a shadow over so many lives.

Sadly, the need to belittle others to make ourselves feel bigger is part of the human psyche.

The phenomenal growth of social media means bullying is now more pervasive than ever.

And it’s not just children being targeted.

Our elected representatives, those we choose as community leaders, are increasingly being targeted by keyboard warriors.

Politics can be a bloodsport and politicians are conditioned to be resilient. But if we allow our leaders to be defamed and maligned online without consequences, what does that say about us as a society?

Bullying diminishes individuals. It crushes their spirit and makes them less than what they could be, often for life.

For this reason alone, we should all take a pledge to stand-up to bullies.