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Standing Up To Bullies: Harnaam Kaur

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Jun 1, 2004
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From Twitter abuse to derogatory comments on Facebook and abusive posts on Reddit, online bullying is a growing problem.Now a new survey has revealed that unpleasant and hurtful behaviour is becoming increasingly common in real life as well. One woman who knows all too well how that feels is Harnaam Kaur, 23, from Slough in Berkshire who has been growing a beard since the age of 16.

She is one of the millions of British adults who have been bullied at some point in their lives, with most targeted about their appearance. Ms Kaur, who is now an anti-bullying campaigner, appeared on ITV's This Morning which commissioned the survey to discuss her experiences. Her problems began after she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that causes excess hair growth.

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Video: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...ed-90-OFFLINE-appearance.html#v-3214734135001

As a result, the teaching assistant endured years of cruel taunts about her looks and spent thousands of pounds desperately trying to get rid of her beard.

Bearded woman who was abused for her looks appears on TV to call for more help for victims after new survey reveals that HALF of UK adults have been bullied
  • 55 per cent of women and 54 per cent of men have been bullied
  • More than half of the abuse was related to the victim's appearance
  • Despite concerns about online bullying, 90% of abuse happens offline
  • One woman who has battled to beat bullies is bearded Harnaam Kaur
  • The 23-year-old began growing a beard after developing PCOS
  • Will appear on This Morning to discuss her experiences of bullying

But after converting to Sikhism, a religion that forbids cutting hair, she decided to embrace her looks and allowed her beard to grow.

'When I first started growing my beard it was for religious reasons but as the years have gone by I’ve kept it for more personal reasons,' she said in an interview conducted after her photo was included in an exhibition celebrating the world's best facial hair.

'It makes me feel like a brave, confident woman who isn't afraid to break society’s norms.'

Sadly, Ms Kaur's experience of being bullied isn't unique. Women are slightly more likely to suffer abuse, with 55 per cent saying they had been bullied compared to 54 per cent of men.

Nevertheless, both sexes suffered mental bullying such as unkind remarks, with 64 per cent of women claiming to have had to put up with cruel comments and 37 per cent of men.

Male respondents were considerably more likely to have been subjected to physical attacks, with almost 20 per cent saying they had been beaten up by bullies.

While small numbers reported being bullied because of their ethnicity or sexuality, the vast majority, 50.6 per cent, said they were bullied because of their looks.

Speaking about the results, a spokesman for This Morning said: 'These numbers reflect the current bullying culture-situation among adults today.

'There are some shocking results that our viewers have disclosed and on This Morning today we will go through these with guests who have suffered similar experiences.

'This Morning is a topical lifestyle program and prides itself on covering every issue effecting its viewers and we hope all experiences and advice featured today will offer help and support to all currently being bullied.'
 
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