A TEENAGER who self-harmed after being targeted by cyber-bullies is launching a film as part of her campaign to help others avoid the same experience.

Sophie Thorne, 17, will be at The Arts Centre, in Old Town, on January 15 to watch her work on the big screen, which she created with the help of a movement called Fixers.

The New College student started self harming while she was at school after she received messages from a fake Facebook account, as well as texts and death threats.

“I decided to make an animation because, to me, it was the best way to get across my point of how people are affected by cyber bullying,” she said.

“Doing a project with Fixers has really boosted my confidence with speaking out about my personal experience.

“I have met some lovely and inspiring people along my journey and I can’t wait for it all to be launched. I’m really hoping that it shows people how cyber-bullying can affect other people.”

Sophie has created an animated film called Speak Up, which shows how cyber-bullying can affect someone, making them hide away and not want to go out.

It also shows how important it is to tell someone what is going on, so that they can help take action against the bullies.

“I hope that it will go far and help lots of other young people going through it. I want to make people aware and try to prevent cyber bullying as much as I can,” she said.

“This kind of bullying is as bad as physical bullying, and can sometimes be worse because people just do not know when to stop, or the hurt they can cause.

“With me a fake Facebook account was made. I was being sent constant text messages and death threats. “As I was going through it I felt like I wasn’t being supported by people I told.

“I think it’s because people don’t understand how it could have happened. “They don’t understand how much technology we have these days.

“It has changed me. I used to be a lot more open about myself whereas now I am careful who I trust.”

Thanks to support from her family, school and college, action is now being taken against the bullies.

Fixers is a charity project which supports 16 to 25-year-olds across the country to take action and change things for the better, addressing any issue they feel strongly about.

How each Fixer tackles an issue is up to them – as long as they benefit someone else.

Sophie will be joined at the event, which is from 3pm, by Carney Bonner, of Priory Vale, who featured on a Channel 4 documentary about how he was cyber-bullied.

He has now started up his own charity to support young people who are being bullied.

Fixers is a project of the Public Service Broadcasting Trust, funded by the Big Lottery Fund which awarded £7.2m in April 2012.

For more information about Fixers visit www.fixers.org.uk