Scared to speak out?

Don’t be. You deserve to be heard

Your thoughts (30)

Speaking out can be scary for some of us.

We are scared of being judged or punished.

We also worry that we might disappoint our parent or friends with what we say.

This is why sometimes we think it is best not to say anything. And so when something wrong happens we keep quiet.

But the truth is sometimes it is important to speak out especially when you are being hurt or belittled.

It might make things better.

Speaking out can help you protect yourself. When you tell someone how they make you feel they can learn and not repeat it.

It can also help you protect others around you. For example when you speak out you can help a neighbour or friend who is being bullied. If you feel scared to confront the bullies you can report them to an older adult.

But speaking out doesn’t mean you have to scream or be rude.

It just means you saying your mind politely but firmly. For example rather than insult or scream at your friend for hurting you. You can calmly say “I was hurt with what you did, I never expected it”

Or if you see someone being bullied you can calmly tell the bully off “I need you to stop what you are doing or I am going to have to report you to an older person”. This is better than picking a fight.

You really have no reason to get scared. Let no one scare you into keeping quiet.

It is your voice. Use it for good and to defend those who may not be able to speak for themselves.

You can even earn the respect of other people as the girl who speaks her mind. Remember to respectfully speak out.

Sometimes when we speak out people may not react as we hope. When this happens, we may be discouraged. It is important not to let this stop you. The more you speak out, you more you build your confidence and self value. And these are important qualities to have.

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Your thoughts

Dear Big Sister, I was the one(princess) who wrote to you 4 days back about my one year boyfriend whom I broke up with because of my father.I couldn't log in because I didn't remember my pin so I had to sign up again with another name in order to get to you at that time.i got your reply,thank you.In case, I have updated my profile to princess so you can recognise me.pls don't be annoyed with me.Thank you Daby.Good night.

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey Princess! So sorry about your password issue. We are glad to have you back here. We are also happy that you found the response helpful. Big sister is not annoyed at all, she understands. We hope this helps

Hello Big sister, Please what can you say about a male having the feminist traits which is otherwise known as being gay. please is it right! thanks for your reply in advance

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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Hey Michelle! This is a personal decision and it is totally up to what you are comfortable with. We hope this helps

Big sister what if you feel like people are not going to listen to you when you talk...if you feel your opinions are worthless and people see you as nothing is it then okay to be quiet and talk only when spoken because that's what I'm going through

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey Gesi! Thanks for the comment. The first thing you need to do is to stop thinking that way because your thoughts play a very important role in the success of whatever it is you want to do. How about you think that people will listen to you when you talk and that people will think that your opinions are great and not worthless? It is always better to think positively than to think about negative things. You are amazing and your opinion is always valid. People will always listen as long as have something to say. Positive thoughts always bring a positive result. Use this approach instead and we know it will work for you. We hope this helps

for me naw my boss offends me and i dont av the courage to speak out, pls should i do

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey Ateey! Thanks for the comment. We have given you tips in the article above that can help you in this situation. We hope this helps

Some people don't talk because they are shy to talk but i personally and according to rule of law which state that we have 'freedom of expression'as a citizen of a particular country you have the right to express yourself

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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Correct! Chop knuckle jor

I am scared to speak out whenever I've been wronged.Since I was young,I've only been taught to say is I'm sorry,please forgive me,it was a mistake and I won't do it again which I learned how to do perfectly even when i'm not guilty.As the first born i believed it was a duty for me but I grew up and realized that it only ruined the good reputation I was supposed to have,so I stopped and started defending myself whenever I was accused but it was counted by my father as being disrespectful and now I don't anymore talkmore of speaking out.I just let him accuse and paint me bad anytime he wishes.So I'm afraid to say that the speaking out issue does not work where I come from.My father hates it when you do such,I guess he prefers me being a moron.l just don't understand him. My only prayer is that I be free from him soon enough.

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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It happens to me too somtyms I feel like runing from home but dats not a solution. Don't think u 're d only 1 instead c ur sef as a person others wish to b like & b proud of it because every girl has a princess in them. Hope to know u better. Thanks

Hey Princess! Thanks for opening up through this comment. We totally understand how you and eniela feel and we are so sorry about that. It can really be sad to know that you are from a home where you do not have a right to speak out even when you are sure that you are correct. We are so sorry. Have you tried talking to another trusted adult about this? Like your mum, uncle, aunt, neighbour or someone else your dad can listen to? This can be a way to let him know that you also have a right to your own opinion. You can also try talking to him at a very good time (when there is no misunderstanding between you both). Let him know how you feel and make him understand that you are not trying to be rude but sometimes, you are not always wrong. Talking can solve a lot of problems but the way you say it and when you say it also matters. Big sister will be here to guide you both if you need help. We hope this helps

Any time a friend ask me for some thing i will give him that thing am scerd to say no,because i don't what him to feel bad,this thing is affecting me curiously.

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Pls I want to write an article, how do I do it.

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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Hey Fortune! Thanks for the comment. To write an article, you need to mentally ready for it. Once you are ready for it and you know the topic you want to write on, then you can go ahead with the article. We hope this helps

Writing an article isn't hard at all .It's simple just like when you want to make tea in the morning for breakfast.Just make sure that when you're writing it,you should have a killer opening line.The type that a reader can't resist.

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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Pls, I mean an article in this site. Thanks.

Hey Princess! You are very correct. Thanks for this. @Fortune, you can only write through comments or write on our Facebook page. We hope this helps

how will i respond if a girl tell me am cute

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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Hey 4boy! Thanks for the comment. This is personal. You are free to act the way you want to when someone says they like you. We hope this helps

If she's an acquaintance,just say thank you but if you like her,I think you're in a better position to know what to say.

I have a boyfriend nd we dated for five years and broke up with me this year because of sex,though am nt a virgin something bad happened to me then nd i dnt want it to repeat it self until i get maried so he left me just because i didnt allow him to have sex with me but he is now beggin me now to come back to him nd am scare of telling him that am nt a virgin.plz what should i do?

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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Hey Ifeoluwa! Thanks for the comment. We have answered this comment in the other article. Please go there to see the response we gave. We hope this helps

Big Sis...Im A Shy Girl..I Try Alot To Speak In Public But Can't What Should I Do?

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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Hey Allen! Thanks for the comment. This article was written for you. We have given you all the tips you need to learn to speak out in public. Please read through the article and follow the tips. We hope this helps

i can't express ma self even in front of ma guy.i feel tongue tied nd sacred

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Hello big sister,i fell deeply in love with my cousin brother and i decided to tell him but to my greatest suprise,he also felt thesame way as me.And we started dating.But our parent are against our relationship,and we truelly love each other.Big sister we really need advise from you.

March 20, 2022, 7:56 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey xena! Thanks for the comment. To be very honest with you, this "relationship" or "love" CANNOT work. This is Nigeria and relationships like these are seen as a taboo. You cannot date or even think of marrying your own cousin. There is no way that your parents will support you both. You also need to be very careful. Things like these don't thrive in this part of the world. We hope this helps

yes it helps,thanks for the advice big sister.