I'm verbally abused

A neighbourhood bully has been victimising me and calling me names for several months now. He has called me a Joey, a babyf***er and even a babyc***biter and recently he said that I bore a strong resemblance to the late former Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe.

What can I do to get this guy off my back? I am 30 years of age.

Kimberly Bridge: Have you tried reasoning with your abuser? I think you'll find most people are pretty amenable when you actually stop and talk to them.

For example, you can maybe negotiate a situation whereby he only insults you on weekdays, or restrict his abuse to 'fuckwit', 'dickwad' and 'twat' every second Thursday, but give him free reign to use any language on the first weekend of the month. It's all about compromise; give and take.

Ben Nunn: As one who was subjected to this kind of abuse at school, I know only too well how hurtful taunts and namecalling can be, as well as the frustration that comes with others dismissing your problem out of hand.

When you are the victim, namecalling is a very serious issue, as it undermines your personality and self-confidence and therefore affects your whole life, waking and sleeping. I can only offer my deepest sympathies and reassurances that you are not the only person in this awful postion.

But he will grow tired of this eventually, and I suggest that you try to avoid contact with this person as much as possible, and, although it will be hard, try not to let his words visibly affect you in public. You babyfucker.

Richard Grinter: We must start this phased project with swift and decisive sanctions. I would suggest you cease trading arms, steel and oil with the said bully, thus rendering ineffectual his military might.

Public opinion will be vital in the next phase of the offensive; In order to win the media war we will need to develop a catchy name for the enemy. I have focus groups ready to canvass opinion but I suggest we term them The Axis of Bullies. Imagine the humiliation he will feel when confronted with the tabloids clever word play, Bullax.

To help cement the international coalition, you will then need to send me, to, oh I don't know where, but the Maldives are meant to be nice this time of year.

These steps - in conjunction with intelligence forces stirring up unrest in the outlying North of your neighbourhood making the populace rise up to overthrow this vicious name-calling regime - should lead to a swift and decisive victory for the squadron of B52's that are already in the air preparing to bomb the shit out of the Bullax's palatial residence and secret bunker.

Or you could move house...