Photographic Exhibition Explores Lasting Effects of Childhood Bullying

A new exhibition focuses on the effects of childhood bullying on adult life. Sheffield-based photographer Jeremy Abrahams has created a series of nine new portraits, titled We Carry It With Us, for the exhibition, with each subject revisiting a location from their childhood. The display at Weston Park Museum was developed with assistance from the charity Welcoming Cultures. Mr. Abrahams stated that the project’s objective was to demonstrate how adverse childhood experiences are something “people take with them, whether positively or negatively.” As part of the project, Mr. Abrahams included a self-portrait, on which he documented his experience with antisemitism while attending Trinity Academy in Edinburgh. He wrote on the image, “When I was 12, I had to walk down this school corridor and out into the playground every day.” He added, “A gang of boys would chase me and chant ‘Jew Boy’.” Mr. Abrahams indicated that this experience profoundly affected his self-perception, an effect that did not diminish until he took the photograph 53 years later. Carol Stewart, a woman’s leadership coach and columnist for the Sheffield Telegraph, is among the participants. She was photographed in the playground of Hunter’s Bar Junior School, where she attended as a child. Her own words written on the image state, “I was the only black girl among my white friends.” She recalled that as a child, she experienced a phase of playing a game where she was selected to be the servant. She recounted, “When I protested, we took a vote, which I lost,” adding, “But it gave rise to my passion for social justice and equality.” Mr. Abrahams mentioned that he drew inspiration from the research of Professor Ellen Walser de Lara, from Syracuse University in New York, and her book Bullying Scars. Her research revealed that nearly half of individuals who endured childhood bullying reported that it ultimately had a positive impact. Mr. Abrahams stated, “It didn’t exactly do me a lot of good – but at the same time it did.” He further explained, “It made me who I am, it gave me a strong sense of empathy for others, and it made me want to make sure that other people weren’t treated the same as me.” He continued, “So, I thought there must be people like that around me that I can find to photograph, where I can set out this kind of double-edged sword.” He noted that male participants in the project were “more reluctant” to discuss negative experiences from their childhood. He suggested, “We could change that by being more open about it and showing that it’s okay to be open about it.” The exhibition will be available for free viewing at Weston Park Museum until February 23.