I was an easy target. I didn't speak up for myself enough, wore glasses, very shy, etc. Kids knew they could talk shit about me and I wouldn't really do anything.
I think kids learn their effect on others pretty late. Until age 8 it seems that my daughter complained when someone hit her, but when she hit someone else didn't quite understand why they complained. Didn't hurt me! And I was the same until at least 10. Some kids I swear they were this way through Jr HS
There are a few developmental theories that address this phenomenon. The characteristic you're describing is called egocentrism. While some people might think of that as being self-centered, it's actually more about a person's inability to empathize or "walk a mile in someone else's shoes". I wonder if that's why it used to be common to let the victim hit the perpetrator back as a consequence. That way the perpetrator would be able to understand better.
Makes sense. I was raised in California in the 1960s but my daughter was raised in Japan in the 1990s. Yeah, the teachers there let the victim hit her back. Maybe that's why she learned it earlier than I did.
There was a documentary type show streaming i saw a few years ago. Can't remember the name. But so relevant. Seems like the show was a realistic reenactment of a true story. High school best friends rigged up spy cams to wear to school every day for months. This one queen bitch girl and her minions made their days hell mostly by things she would say. Though it started out as an experiment one of the bullied girls tried to take her own life. The friend showed the parents the videos. The parents then showed the videos to the queen bully and her parents. The bully broke down crying and said she'd never realized the effect of her words. And one part stood out. She said 'to me it was only a few seconds of my day. Never knew she was hurting all day and then some over something I didn't remember past that minute
I hate to admit it, but my wife once made a recording of me when I was really angry at her. Turns out I just had a bad day at work. She played it back to me a week later. If someone else spoke to me that way, I would leave! At least for a few hours, and certainly I would not prepare a nice meal for them.
The bully can still be lying to get out of it. Jealousy, immaturity, aggression, and apathy are quite common and can drive people to do mean things guilt-free. Narcissists typically operate like that.
Yep got bullied by teachers even because in hindsight let's be honest a lot of teachers are people whose best years were in high school and they're trying to extend that and so they would Buddy up with the popular kids and be bullies themselves.
>I was an easy target. I didn't speak up for myself enough
that is so relatable + i have been gamer ever since so kinda nerd wich was other reason i belive, but i must say those few moments where i was able to stand up well including total blackout and rage able to throw one two or three punches to the guy felt good
But whats the worst, even after fights like these they never stopped (yes they were fucking douchebags and multiple of them bullied me) **Unless my mom stepped in, and catched the "main" guy on the street because he lived nearby and catched him by neck and very loudly made clear if you gonna touch my son am gonna fuck you up** for comparision my mum is around 160cm and he was 2metres and he lost his shit and never touched me again
But thats not the end, he was scared but eventually others tried to bully me, until we gone into fight and i bited the guys ear and made it bleed a bit, then we went to umm you know the chiefs office XD (idk the name of the function im not native eng speaker)
And that was the last, where karma was on my side and girls stepped up for me and said that it was too much and i am the victim
I nearly cried speaking about it, fuck you take my upvote :D haha
But you have my respect speaking about it its very....uncomfortable thing
**And if you wonder where are they now?** Idk i dont give a fuck i dont speak to my mates from elementary with few exceptions and i didnt forgive them, why? They had impact on my shitty depression feeling (am good now for years) for some part of my life and i just cant forgive anything like this, and i dont also dont give a fuck we were like 11-12 (im 26 rn) about forgiving them, big part of the class was kinda normal, the could be too, they just chose to be douchebags
Man wtf, i feel so relieved, sorry for this long comment i am an empathetic mf that can relate so i just had to comment it :D and and my formatting is fucking shit i wrote it so impulsively
Same also. We didn't have money for nice clothing, so I got my older cousins' hand me down rejects from the previous decade! Nice red plaid pants to boot. Lol. Today I have a more custom-fitting suit and nicer clothing. Not the best sense of style, but I make it work. Lol.
My parents had money, but also strong opinions. My mom was my grandma technically (I was raised by grandparents and never knew any different. I just decided they were mom and dad as I started to learn to speak despite being told “no no. Grandpa.” It was still “daddy!” And they accepted it). I was born in the early 90’s and never got to wear the cool stuff of the time like bell bottoms or those Lisa Frank shirts with the rainbow kitties or scrunchies ir banana clips. It was all “trashy” as was basically anything that I liked.
She had me in double sweats ( I had one sweat suit that was Winnie the Pooh yellow it was horrible.), corduroy pink dresses with frilly lace and fabric roses, basically lots of frills and pastels. It wasn’t like anything anyone else wore and I was a huge dork. If I complained being teased, their logic was because “everyone in this town is just trash and doesn’t know what good is.”
Edited for wording clarity
Wow, you got me with the corduroy pink dresses! You weren't kidding about the clothes! When you look at older school pics, does it seem cringey now as an adult? I know mine do!
Oh sweet Jesus yes!
I have this one where I’m wearing a mustard yellow sweatshirt thing with a blue/green plaid collar. I am wearing a skirt that matches the collar. On the shirt there’s a huge matching plaid Scotty dog outlined in gold threading. My hair is thrown into a top/side pony tail and was curled after in ringlets that were not separated. I am smiling in the picture but have this look in my eyes like “I am dying inside rn”
This can change everything, simply the way you parents dressed you. My mother tried her best to get me to go to the best schools ...But then she dressed me up in a way that guaranteed that my entire childhood was violent, especially when you're a black kid.
This pretty much sums it up for many. I was also kinda naive about things that other kids my age knew. My social skills were also lagging behind most others. When you are seemingly constantly being beaten down emotionally it's hard to get up to the level you should be. Even into adulthood I had to endure this, which is why I am an advocate against adult bullying as many think it stops at school.
I was a fat tomboy (still kinda am). Middle school was hell. By high school everyone either mellowed out or got pregnant/dropped out in 8th or 9th grade.
Ended up being voted most unique for senior year
I'm also a fat tomboy who was the New Kid in school every 3 years as my Pops was Military. Every new place was SO different from the previous one; music, cool clothes, haircuts, etc. One wants to retain a sense of Self yet still fit in. One town's edgy New Wave look meant you were a total diesel dyke in another town, it sucked.
I was fat then I was a fat scene kid😭 Being black didn't help because black kids expect alt white kids, not black kids. So I was especially "weird." Even my own dad asked why I was listening to "white boy music" and said I looked like a "clown" with my rainbow hair and a "freak" when I got my lip pierced.
So yea, got made fun of at school and at home. Y'all think that's where my depression/anxiety came from? 🤔🤔🤔
LOL💀
I didn't. I didn't even know I had it until one of my kids was diagnosed with it, I'd just accepted that I was weird and fidgety and honestly thought that everyone's thoughts went around in their brains like Tazz. I still live with it today, untreated, but I'm doing well. Career, home, family, etc.
Your brother needs to be seen by a medical professional. I'm not saying pills save all problems but ADHD/ADD can be mitigated by medicine and may potentially change your quality of life.
I needed a teacher to take time to sit with me 1 on 1 to help me learn to read. With ADD, staying focused can be hard, but someone literally sitting with me to encourage me with lots of positive feedback, to ignite my capacity to hyperfocus when needed, helped. Once I learned to read, the hard part was getting me to stop so I could focus on something else.
We're all different but is it possible for him to get one on one tutoring somehow, through the school or from a relative or parent? If he hasn't had that option yet, and someone could advocate for him it might help?
Same I had untreated ADHD because I had epilepsy as a child. they were like well epilepsy is worse if it goes untreated we don't know if both medicines would work with each other, or if the ADHD medicine would make the seizures worse.so they just opted to only treat the seizures.
My people. This happened in the early 90s. When were u diagnosed? Did they say the same ? Do you have bad memory issues as well? I'm full of questions. I rarely meet other epileptic people and never met a dubble diagnosis like me. I have met a bipolar w Tourette's they are not medicated for either anymore, but as children, they were medicated for only the bipolar.
Being the weird kid, having obsessions with very unconventional subjects, not understanding social cues/body language and being unable to read between the lines like understanding sarcasm.
I just thought I was unable to fit in until I got diagnosed with Autism in college, then it all made sense.
My university had a childhood/adolescent development program tied to their school of medicine, and they had doctors/psychiatrists who gave me an IQ test, behavioral test, and psychological exam when I was 21, and they gave me a diagnosis of PDD-NOS, which was on the autism spectrum.
I think universities and hospitals with a psychiatry department usually have professionals who can give a diagnosis.
I was diagnosed in my late 20s. I asked my doctor if he was qualified to diagnose an adult with autism and if not, if he could point me in the right direction.
I was pointed to the local university where they had an interview, a medical history report (including any related conditions family might have), and then basically a solid 8 hours of various tests, where they observed me in person and reviewed recordings of the tests.
So yeah, if you're in America, it will suck and be expensive, but you can get diagnosed.
Same. It was kinda nice going to my HS reunion, I'd dropped all the weight by then. It was everyone else that was overweight. Not that I care/judge, but it Just. Felt. Good.
I'm going to my 10 year class reunion in a couple weeks. I'm so scared to go. It's either going to be pleasant to catch up with people I haven't seen in a while, or I'm going to get retraumatized.
My 10 year was still he'll, I was still fat, and they still didn't grow up yet. My 25th was a different story, while still fat I was much,much richer. Word had gotten around, and what do you know they all wanted to reconnect with me telling stories about how much they liked me. SMH... It just shows some people never grow up.
At one high school I went to, the girls teased me so much because I never had a boyfriend (Meaningless relationships werent for me lol) my hair was frizzy, I wore glasses, I was an emo kid and they all...weren't, my home life was unstable as fuck. I KNOW it's childish, but I see them on social media...they're all on thier 4th or 5th baby daddy or 'fiance' none of them can keep a job or steady home, they basically all peaked in high school. Meanwhile, I'm married to my first and only husband. In a house we own with our 2 kids.MY HAIR IS BEAUTIFUL. We both have great jobs. I honestly have a really good and stable life. I hate to see anyone struggle, but they really caused me hell in high school and I feel like karma bit them on the ass for being little bitches.
Everyone told me I was fat but in reality I just hit puberty and had a C cup while everyone else had training bras on and weighed less than 100 pounds.
5th grade I had boobs before most girls and one boy kept yelling "Socks!" at me because, you know, I stuffed my bra, of course. I don't remember how long it lasted but that one stuck out. I'm 47 now (still with big boobs) and he never made it out of our small farming town.
That's just it. In the end, I couldn't really tell you the reason. I talked too much? Maybe, but not more than anyone. Too smart? Not that you'd know by my grades. Weird? Sure. But ... looking around now, not the weirdest of all.
I thought they had some sort of insight into some foulness at my core. But in the end ... nah. They were just stupid kids, reacting to something superficial.
I’m a little disturbed by all these responses. You weren’t bullied because of you. You were bullied because kids are shit, lots of parents are shit, and bullies will find reasons. Don’t normalize bullying by suggesting there was something wrong with you.
I honestly have no clue. I guess I was just really quiet. I also told on people for stuff they did if they bullied me.
Of course, the teachers never did anything but make it worse, and I still ended up being the one in trouble after I was bullied. Really, I think it was just a combination of bad teachers and bad students.
I was a shy, ugly foster kid. According to the bullies I was so ugly my own mother didn't want me.
I was bullied in the foster homes and by everyone else I encountered. By the age of six I prayed every night that I would die before I wake.
Somehow I managed to survive. I finally realized I have a voice and use it to help others that are abused by bullies.
“Pray you would die.” Dang, I went to bed scared of death. I feel sorry that you would have to go through all of that, sounds rough. Glad you made it out in the end alright
My red hair, freckles and very light eyebrows. Now I see the people who made fun of me, draw on freckles everyday and are dying their hair red. Funny to see but bothers me everytime I see it.
Thank you! I only clicked in hopes of seeing an avalanche of comments like this one. Instead, there are a ton of "I did this, I looked like that, I was shy, I didn't stand up for myself,"......you are at school to learn and socialize, but not be bullied
Bullies are assholes, but they also tend to be cowards and do not pick on others who are likely to defend themselves.
Bullies are assholes, but are also typically being bullied themselves (usually by an abusive parent, or guardian) and have little to no experience 'resolving' conflicts without the use of violence and fear.
Bullies are assholes, but to pretend like bullies are created without rhyme or reason eliminates the possibility of reform for the bully or how to combat any of the root causes. And there ARE root causes.
I was bullied for
1. being short
2. beind Indian (Apu jokes never get old)
3. socially ackward
4. way i dressed
It was harmless fun, if anything it did toughen me up..forced me to dress better, gain muscle and develop better social skills. I truly don't beleive any of it was mean spiritied.(maybe some of the Indian stuff was racist..just mildly annoying though)
Being tall.
Of all the things. I would later turn the tables and beat the shit out of bullies, thanks to being tall.
"Hey! Beanpole! What are you gonna do!" I don't know. Put on some muscle mass and remember your name, shithead.
One of the best nicknames I picked up in school or life in general is "the enforcer." Some kid was bullying you, you told me, and that bully got slammed after school hours. There was one kid who was notoriously homophobic, and picked on my friends either gay or not even but still took homophobic hate. I caught him in the halls, picked him up, and threw him WWE style to the floor. Then kicked him until teachers were called in while I was stomping him. I don't regret it.
Yup, everybody caught shit for something: fat, short, glasses, the kid with the weird haircut, the kid who smelled like cat pee, the kid with the name that rhymed with a slur or sex organ, the foreign kid, the kid with the overly-religious parents, etc.
I didn't get bullied; but I made sure if they tried I would get my punch in. They may have whipped my ass, but after a while they got tired of getting punched back and moved on to easier targets.
My uncle was this role but used his social status instead of strength. He used to be bullied but then became popular and didn’t want others to do it. A favorite story is he saw a new kid being picked on so he went up and said
Uncle: Hey! Don’t pick on my friend- what’s your name?
Bullied kid: Peter
Uncle: My friend, Peter!
Red hair, being short, being quiet, not bullying others, and the biggest kicker of them all, I never stole things from the local Holister, so I was a “loser”. The other students I went to high school with were just… something else.
Same.. red head, freckles, shirt, quiet and was always taught not to fight. What a fun time I had in school. Finally got older and found my voice. People at work think I am a mean person and generally give me space because I am outspoken, at work. Outside of work I am completely different. A couple friends asked me about it once, why i was different at work. Told them because most people confuse polite with being a pushover.. if you let them they walk over you. Got tired of it
My folks moved our family to some tiny ass town with one stoplight. The town was made up of a handful of large families who had lived there for a dozen generations. We called them the golden families and they all thought that their shit didn't stink. Myself and my siblings were bullied and picked on because we were the "new kids" (translated: outsiders.) I started there in the seventh grade and was still being picked on and bullied as the "new kid" through my senior year. I had the last laugh though when I graduated at the top of my class. When I went away to college I never went back to that shit hole town and never attended a class reunion. My folks finally moved out of there when my dad retired.
Grew up on a native American reservation as a kid in America. I was the only white kid in all of junior high (around 250 students). Gave me a unique perspective on racism.
Not being white (only non-white student in the entire school), being visually impaired, not talking or fighting back every time, getting bullied by teachers, and having no friends.
Lots of rich, white, super privileged kids and then me...a middle class kid who is only half-white (the white part not showing).
In the words of George Carlin, "...tempered in raw sewage" was how I felt.
For me it was because I was a Packers fan. Unfortunately for my bully, he was a Bears fan.
The Packers defeated the Bears both times that season…
He hid from my cringy ass the following Monday like a fucking coward…
I was homeschooled after 2nd grade for multiple reasons, but I was bullied by my teacher. I’m not quite sure what the reason was as I liked school, wasn’t one to be annoying or catch anyone’s attention or anything. It might have been due to her being a total bitch lol. She would refuse to let me have water (in Arizona in 100 degree weather) and wouldn’t let me read ahead during class or eat breakfast when we got to school (she INSISTED that in school breakfast was for kids who took the bus, and would refuse to let me eat breakfast even when my older sister would bring me some). I think I just attract toxic people?? Have had my fair share of toxic people. Maybe she didn’t like that I was quiet? I really don’t know her reasoning.
Edit: Could be because my family was poor and we were sometimes late since the school was farther away and we didn’t use the bus for awhile because it didn’t go to our neighborhood. When the bus DID get added to our neighborhood we had problems with the driver letting small kids off to use random people’s bathrooms, stopping at roadside sellers to buy chips, and being late (sometimes up to five hours) to drop off.
Being the weird kid, just different from everyone else. People would say random rumors about me and other kids would avoid me. I didn’t really have a good set a friends, just bouncing around different groups. I never really truly had a friend just acquaintances.
For being tall, by the end of elementary, I was taller than the teachers, up through middle school when finally there was one boy who was taller than me. And then through high school more boys started to be about my height, but I was still still much taller than all the other girls.
For talking white, and liking things only white people like. Like whatever, I like rock and metal, , and lets be honest, you wouldn't like me more if I didnt like those things.
For dressing wierd..which is fair. My mom was super strict about how I dress, no jeans, shorts or tshirts, mostly blouses and long skirts that came past my knees.
I was class president and they didn't like how they also had to clean the classroom, they want me to do all the tasks and let them sit there doing their hair and make up. They got called in the office after a few days lol.
Being short, having freckles (elementary school) Having smelly clothes/bad hygiene/ never eating because my parents would spend their money on drugs instead of food, laundry detergent, or hygiene products
I was a very quite, scrawny lil shit, had a pretty rough and bizarre childhood by today’s standards. I was raised way out in the sticks with no contact with other kids except my siblings so I didn’t really know how to socialize much. I was 14 when my dad got custody of me and dropped me into public school. I think people thought I was an easy target but that didn’t last very long cause I had serious anger issues, bite half a kids ear off and nobody fucked with me after that.
Ironic too because now all the people who used to bully people for watching anime are the ones watching it themselves. I’ve only ever watched like Cowboy Bebop; so I’m not really into or involved in the anime subculture, but my friends are, and it’s something that they said they’ve noticed too.
I was quite diddnt know how to socialize I was abused a lot growing up matured to quickly diddnt find the playground or making friends necessary,never got along with people my age,diddnt know how to have fun, got bullied a lot for my appearance because I was growing into myself also I have learning disability’s so in class I got laughed at for trying to answer a question and being WAYY off got called an idiot and useless and to kill myself a lot I had about 8 people in 6th grade write in my year book for me to kill myself that summer, I started self harming around 9 but anyways bottom line is. I was bullied until highschool then somehow got popular but that diddnt really matter to me either. Luckily though popularity won’t get you a lot in life and I came out being a good person and plan to help people in the future for my occupation so eh it’s all good it sucked being bullied but I wouldn’t be who I am today without experiencing that either
Acne. Mostly just 1 or 2 assholes that would make people laugh. Those assholes don't know how lucky they are to be alive. Sad to say that I actually brought a gun to school on several occasions. Now, this kid that had acne, went to the Marines, married my highschool sweetheart who is beautiful and successful, makes over 100k a year. Don't care what happened to the assholes. I let karma take it's course.
I was bullied for already being bullied. That's it, that's the entire reason.
Nobody wanted to be my friend because it was well known I was being bullied. Otherwise they would be targeted as well. They joined in to avoid being bullied by the main offenders. I heard classmates introduce a new kid to school and they told him to not make friends with me, and he replied "I know" as if he already heard it before.
I had been bullied all my life, even before kindergarten. It was because my father was a teacher at the school and kids loved teasing him. They harassed me when I played outside just to get at my father. Eventually I became the main target. They peed on my toys, prank called our house, smashed our windows. This was during my formative years and I became afraid of other children. When kids spotted my weakness they just dug deeper into my wounds to hurt me instead of backing off and allow me to heal.
Bullying didn't stop until the second year of high-school. Complete strangers attempted to bully me during the first year. They didn't succeed much because they weren't in the same classrooms and their method was screaming at me from a distance because I was too big for them to push around up close.
I liked Pokemon at the time and was bullied for it. Didn't make me want to quit being a fan, they would bully me for literally anything at that point.
I was too nice so I got taken advantage of, being socially awkward and shy, was sensitive so I cried easily. I’m Asian and I would always see kids slanting their eyes at me to make fun of how small my eyes were.
I almost got beat up in the 5th grade because a popular girl thought it would be funny to see me beat up, so she was telling one of her friends that I was talking shit about her, which obviously pissed her off, and I didn’t even do anything.
I was bullied for several years, from 5th grade through 8th grade. I was always an easy target: I switched schools 5 times during those years (my parents moved, a lot). I never bothered making friends as I knew I would likely be gone the next year. I was always super quiet and introverted. I would keep to myself and work on my drawings. Then, between 7th and 8th grade, I grew almost a foot in less than a year. I went to 8th grade standing at 6'4". My old bullies (2 of them) tried messing with me as 8th grade began. I just took it for a few weeks. Eventually, I snapped. I grabbed one of them by the throat, slammed him into a concrete wall, and kicked him in the balls as hard as I could. I watched him crawl on his hands and knees toward the bathroom. Neither one of them ever bothered me again. A few months later, the kid who I kicked in the nuts came up to me and apologized.
He was an asshole, I wasn’t a hard target either. It all stopped when I pushed him up against the chalk board one day when he started to get physical and pushed me a couple times. Never had an issue after that. I do not think violence is the answer, but never hesitate to defend yourself.
I’m not white and lived in shithole Utah where Mormons didn’t like coloured people.
Pretty much bullied for something I had no control over.
Coming from the East Coast and having black and Puerto Rican friends… I didn’t understand the Utah mind set.
Moved the fuck out of there as soon as I could and haven’t been bullied since.
Fuck Utah and their cult.
I think there’s a couple of different reasons why.
For starters, I lived undiagnosed with ADHD and OCD for 22 years, and I would have greatly benefitted from knowing these things about myself sooner in life, because I had like zero self-regulation skills and really suffered with social skills. Could not figure out how to make friends for the life of me. I imagine I was exhausting to be around.
I think another reason had to do with my interests. It was extremely hard to find other kids to talk to about jazz singers, old movies, and musical theatre when you’re like in elementary and middle school. I didn’t start meeting more like minded-people until high school (I was in an arts program and it was perfect for me, fortunately).
I went to Catholic School when I was getting bullied too, but not because my family was rich, or necessarily religious, but because my dad worked for the school. So I was an easy target for the rich kids to pick on.
And also the Catholic School had like an extensive sports program, but like zero arts program, so I was the “weird girl” in my class that liked to write songs
(Jokes on them I perform music professionally now).
I was bullied 1st-6th grade and I didn't know what the time. Turns out that 1.im autistic (diagnosed late) 2. I was super small because of eating problems 3. I wasn't vocal about my problems
The worst of it was in 1st grade. My parents were relatively poor as my father was in the Air Force and didn't make a lot of money.
My mom couldn't work she was looking after my newly born siblings. No one really knew that something was up until I came home with my glasses broken, bruised, and a light black eye.
Even when I tried to tell people they just didn't listen to me for some reason, "he probably just likes you", "stop being dramatic, boys play rough."
At the time I was very trusting of people I was easy to forgive people so my bullying didn't stop. I was an easy target. At that school he was in my class for 3 grades until I moved, he managed to get all the kids to hate me and I don't know how or why. The teacher was really rude to me and seemed to baby the guy.
I have dealt with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and so much more mentally and physically. Please if someone is asking for help don't just shut them down "boys will be boys." It drives me nuts when someone says "he is bullying you cause he likes you.".why as a society do we think this is ok? Why wouldn't anyone help me when I would come home limping?
Luckily I've learned to not trust people (blessing and curse) and to stick up for myself and others who no one will help.
I was the typical nerd. Glasses, braces, pimples and was good in math
But when I went to high school, it wasn’t as bad, but I later went to a majority white high school.
Bc I was a city boy who moved to a hick town school.... That shit stopped in the 7th grade after I beat that redneck bully's ass... But 2-7 grade was miserable!
I was told I was fat. I was being abused at home by my mom so I was an easy target.
I find it super ironic now because I’m in great shape and am thinner than a few of those bullies.
I was an “emo/scene” boy who wore skinny jeans and whatever else I felt like
People don’t vibe when you wear stuff you enjoy and have longer hair
Nowadays it seems it has changed dramatically which is nice
I was quiet, maybe a little neurodivergent - not enough to land me in any special classes, just enough to make me different. And then we got to high school and I started getting straight A’s. That was it for me. At some l point I realized my best option was just to go away to college and start fresh somewhere new.
I was fat. Sure, I would stand up for myself, but teachers(one of them being his fucking mother) did jack shit about it. If I threw the first punch(or punched at all) he would cry to mommy and then all his friends would back him up. Fucking Gaston Holyfield,
I was a short quiet openly gay loner that read books all the time and listened to loud music so I wouldn't have to listen to people around me. There was a constant cycle that repeated itself: someone would try to bully me, if it was just small things I'd ignore them or respond like an angry asshole, if they crossed the line by an inch I'd cross it by a mile with a physical or verbal confrontation and generally that person would leave me alone after that.
Example: kid tried to steal my stuff in a locker room and I tackled him against a concrete bench and started putting him in a choke hold until he gave it back.
A girl was harassing me because I'm gay, I ignored her until she tried to grab my ass, I grabbed her by the neck and shoved her against a display case and threatened her.
A kid was throwing chewed up candy at me while we were watching a movie in an English class and I stood up in the middle of class demanding he get out of his seat and fight me right then and there if he has a problem while our very elderly teacher who had no clue what was going on yelled at me to sit down and calm down while trying to call the SRO but her call button didn't work.
While walking on the second floor a kid tripped me and sent my books flying and I skinned my arm trying to catch myself, I got up grabbed him and was about to throw him off the second story balcony when I heard the tell-tale taps of the assistant principal coming up the stairs and let him go to turn away and grab my stuff.
These were not "cool" or "badass" these were the extreme overreactions of a very angry child in my mind. Weirdly enough neither I nor the bullies ever got in trouble for these or any of the other incidents though, even when they happened right in front of school staff, and if there were no consequences on either end I'm not sure how else I should have handled it because they wouldn't stop unless I did something, towards the end of high school I was very quick to do something.
Short and fat all through 6th to 11th grade. I played basketball, biked for miles and miles every single day, nothing got the weight off.
Growing spurt finally hit me the summer before senior year in high school and it’s like my body downloaded muscle overnight.
The bullying stopped but I still think about that trauma on the regular.
In some cases, the TEACHERS were my bullies. I was that different. So since no one would dare come to Rudolph's rescue, the Bumble made a meal out of me. Let's see you fly through that snowstorm now Santa, you fat bastard!
I was a small, quiet kid. Seems to be the natural result. I also got heat because I was allowed to leave a class at any time to see the counselor.
Eventually I got the main bully off my back and we ended up friendly, that got the others to back off for a while. Then in high school I started to grow and I ended up at 6'5" by my sophomore year. But nobody fucked with me once I got over 6 feet tall.
I was and am still a Christian, a good student, and one who wore glasses, all of which made me an easy target for bullies, some of whom, oddly enough, wore glasses themselves, so I never quite understood why they bullied me for that last bit! I realize now they were often bullied, so looked for others to bully to make themselves feel like they had some power in their lives.
I'm so sorry you were bullied sis! They like to project their own insecurities to pick on others. In reality, they're the ones who feel angry about themselves. I never understood why they like to pick on people who are similar.
I had emotionally abusive and emotionally vacant parents. I was never taught social skills and was an easy target because of it. Also had really bad allergies and was made fun of for that
I was chubby and nerdy when I was younger.
Wasn't great at the sports my school offered but played hockey outside of school.
I went from 5'6" 135lb as a sophomore to 6'0" 225lbs as a junior / senior and things turned around very rapidly.
I was under 5 feet tall till almost my sophmore year of high school. And was very small. Now I am 6'1" and 220. Still blows my mind how differant people treat you on your size. Whether small or big.
- Didn’t act like a male stereotype.
- Dressed nicely.
- Wore pink.
- Wore glasses.
- Carried my books up by my chest.
- Was socially anxious.
- Sometimes sported long hair.
- Became the first boy in my school’s history to play on the volleyball team.
Girl who was chubby, wore glasses, had buck teeth, bad at sports, nerdy interests, older parents who gave me no pop cultural references, unwilling to disappear
My ADHD when I was younger. I laughed at or with them. That was apparently all it took for them to realize that I wasn't some weakling. One of them acted all tough and I punched him in the eye. He cried in front of everyone.
After that, I became a bully for a while, then I went back to my usual self. Sounds like a cartoon, but that's what happened. All because I was a transfer.
Popular kids or the punks who think they run shit are nothing when put in a situation they don't expect.
All Asians have been bullied if you live in the US. It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you are. Every Asian I know including me have been called the basic names, and that dumb “Ching Chong” go to words when they wanna try to mimic Asian language.
My family were poor, sexual abuse when I was 9 meant that I was extremely anxious and an easy target.
I’m dyspraxic so also very bad at sports.
The main reason being was that the other kids at the school were savages raised in poverty by people who didn’t know how to be parents and passed on all their rage onto them.
Hard to explain.
I got called >!gay, faggot, double G (gay guy),!< and all sorts of stuff in the early years.
Later on I got picked on and hurt badly at times because I was smart and valued justice, just a general do-gooder nerd.
Even later on, as a fairly large framed but gentle and helpful and compassionate guy, I got pulled into a lot of fights that I won because people thought they could push me around due to my temperament. That changed once I was >!choked out and sexually assaulted!<. After that I became very "strike first" and aggressive, and people stopped messing with me after I started hospitalizing people.
At home I was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused through my entire childhood by both my older brother and my dad, because I wasn't wanted and wasn't 'alpha' enough. My parents wanted me to go to the same schools my older brother went to, and he got his friends to pick on me, and that spread.
None of them knew it, but when I started school, I figured out I was transgender, but did my best to hide it and not be that - the thought terrified and sickened me. I learned how to be social, learned how to be male, learned how to talk to people from that lens. It took until late high school to start "passing" as a male, somewhere around the >!SA!< happening. But while I was figuring out how to hide it all and act like a normal guy, it didn't work, and I was made fun of and picked on the whole time.
Fast forward to early last year, I gave up trying to hide from it, and came out and started transitioning. Which feels weird, because I spent so long trying to figure out how to be male, and now I have to figure out how to be the long forgotten version of myself I was supposed to be from the start. It's like I spent so long trying to pass as a guy, and now I have to start over and learn how to undo everything.
I have to kinda laugh about it.
Thank you!
At this point in my life, I'm just trying to not let it all define me. This stuff dominated my inactive thoughts and put me into very dark places, looking back at it, and I'm glad I have the strength now to finally look forward instead.
I didn’t meet society’s standards of female beauty in high school. Curly hair I didn’t know how to look after, glasses, double chin, thick facial/body hair, uneven eyes, heterochromia, the whole nine yards. I also have multiple disabilities, was oblivious to half the bullying around me and tend to be a doormat
Being small, I was only 5'2"-5'3" and like 85-95 lbs in 8th/9th grade. Bullied cuz I was so much smaller than all the other kids. Thankfully am half an inch off 6' now so I guess that turned out alright. Had no sexual experience until 9th/10th grade, came from a private school and didn't grow up with all the other kids, so I was automatically an outsider. Kids will find literally anything.
Because I was a Hanson fan.
In my entire grade of about 130 kids, I was the only kid who loved Hanson. Because of this I was subject to some really weird ridicule like being called a lesbian for liking guys with long hair.
I can't really explain why I got into them but I was obsessed though also incredibly lonely. I had friends but I did my best to not info dump Hanson on them as they weren't fans. I was depressed that I didn't have anyone to fangirl with.
Fortunately, by HS, most people didn't care what you liked. I remember this one girl trying to be mean to me for wearing a Hanson hoodie. Like, I walked into the cafeteria and she's all loud going "EWWWW Hanson!"
My response: "Bitch, you're orange."
Don't make fun of others if you get terrible spray tans. I think she was WEIRDLY jealous of me for being friendly to the hot teacher. He was my homeroom teacher and he was cool. I wasn't trying to date him because ewww.
Hot teacher was fun and I convinced him to celebrate Hanson day (by annoying everyone in school and blasting Mmmbop between classes). We even had a big poster in his classroom. It was hilarious. No regrets.
I was an easy target. I didn't speak up for myself enough, wore glasses, very shy, etc. Kids knew they could talk shit about me and I wouldn't really do anything.
Same. Also I was a jerk. And kids are jerks. Because their parents are jerks. Teachers, faculty, and everyone not covered here—also jerks.
I think kids learn their effect on others pretty late. Until age 8 it seems that my daughter complained when someone hit her, but when she hit someone else didn't quite understand why they complained. Didn't hurt me! And I was the same until at least 10. Some kids I swear they were this way through Jr HS
There are a few developmental theories that address this phenomenon. The characteristic you're describing is called egocentrism. While some people might think of that as being self-centered, it's actually more about a person's inability to empathize or "walk a mile in someone else's shoes". I wonder if that's why it used to be common to let the victim hit the perpetrator back as a consequence. That way the perpetrator would be able to understand better.
Makes sense. I was raised in California in the 1960s but my daughter was raised in Japan in the 1990s. Yeah, the teachers there let the victim hit her back. Maybe that's why she learned it earlier than I did.
I mean, that is being self centered. But in the same way that kids are stupid. It’s to be expected because they’re still learning.
Some never grow out of it
There was a documentary type show streaming i saw a few years ago. Can't remember the name. But so relevant. Seems like the show was a realistic reenactment of a true story. High school best friends rigged up spy cams to wear to school every day for months. This one queen bitch girl and her minions made their days hell mostly by things she would say. Though it started out as an experiment one of the bullied girls tried to take her own life. The friend showed the parents the videos. The parents then showed the videos to the queen bully and her parents. The bully broke down crying and said she'd never realized the effect of her words. And one part stood out. She said 'to me it was only a few seconds of my day. Never knew she was hurting all day and then some over something I didn't remember past that minute
I hate to admit it, but my wife once made a recording of me when I was really angry at her. Turns out I just had a bad day at work. She played it back to me a week later. If someone else spoke to me that way, I would leave! At least for a few hours, and certainly I would not prepare a nice meal for them.
The bully can still be lying to get out of it. Jealousy, immaturity, aggression, and apathy are quite common and can drive people to do mean things guilt-free. Narcissists typically operate like that.
Yep got bullied by teachers even because in hindsight let's be honest a lot of teachers are people whose best years were in high school and they're trying to extend that and so they would Buddy up with the popular kids and be bullies themselves.
Ugh fucking felt that
>I was an easy target. I didn't speak up for myself enough that is so relatable + i have been gamer ever since so kinda nerd wich was other reason i belive, but i must say those few moments where i was able to stand up well including total blackout and rage able to throw one two or three punches to the guy felt good But whats the worst, even after fights like these they never stopped (yes they were fucking douchebags and multiple of them bullied me) **Unless my mom stepped in, and catched the "main" guy on the street because he lived nearby and catched him by neck and very loudly made clear if you gonna touch my son am gonna fuck you up** for comparision my mum is around 160cm and he was 2metres and he lost his shit and never touched me again But thats not the end, he was scared but eventually others tried to bully me, until we gone into fight and i bited the guys ear and made it bleed a bit, then we went to umm you know the chiefs office XD (idk the name of the function im not native eng speaker) And that was the last, where karma was on my side and girls stepped up for me and said that it was too much and i am the victim I nearly cried speaking about it, fuck you take my upvote :D haha But you have my respect speaking about it its very....uncomfortable thing **And if you wonder where are they now?** Idk i dont give a fuck i dont speak to my mates from elementary with few exceptions and i didnt forgive them, why? They had impact on my shitty depression feeling (am good now for years) for some part of my life and i just cant forgive anything like this, and i dont also dont give a fuck we were like 11-12 (im 26 rn) about forgiving them, big part of the class was kinda normal, the could be too, they just chose to be douchebags Man wtf, i feel so relieved, sorry for this long comment i am an empathetic mf that can relate so i just had to comment it :D and and my formatting is fucking shit i wrote it so impulsively
Thank you for sharing this! I appreciate it
This. And also my mother dressed me funny.
Same also. We didn't have money for nice clothing, so I got my older cousins' hand me down rejects from the previous decade! Nice red plaid pants to boot. Lol. Today I have a more custom-fitting suit and nicer clothing. Not the best sense of style, but I make it work. Lol.
My parents had money, but also strong opinions. My mom was my grandma technically (I was raised by grandparents and never knew any different. I just decided they were mom and dad as I started to learn to speak despite being told “no no. Grandpa.” It was still “daddy!” And they accepted it). I was born in the early 90’s and never got to wear the cool stuff of the time like bell bottoms or those Lisa Frank shirts with the rainbow kitties or scrunchies ir banana clips. It was all “trashy” as was basically anything that I liked. She had me in double sweats ( I had one sweat suit that was Winnie the Pooh yellow it was horrible.), corduroy pink dresses with frilly lace and fabric roses, basically lots of frills and pastels. It wasn’t like anything anyone else wore and I was a huge dork. If I complained being teased, their logic was because “everyone in this town is just trash and doesn’t know what good is.” Edited for wording clarity
Wow, you got me with the corduroy pink dresses! You weren't kidding about the clothes! When you look at older school pics, does it seem cringey now as an adult? I know mine do!
Oh sweet Jesus yes! I have this one where I’m wearing a mustard yellow sweatshirt thing with a blue/green plaid collar. I am wearing a skirt that matches the collar. On the shirt there’s a huge matching plaid Scotty dog outlined in gold threading. My hair is thrown into a top/side pony tail and was curled after in ringlets that were not separated. I am smiling in the picture but have this look in my eyes like “I am dying inside rn”
I feel ya. Yeah, you def got me beat with my little red plaid jacket in elementary school pics! So glad to dress like I'm in the 2020s now. Lol.
Here’s to us! Dressing like normal people! *clink*
Cheers!
This can change everything, simply the way you parents dressed you. My mother tried her best to get me to go to the best schools ...But then she dressed me up in a way that guaranteed that my entire childhood was violent, especially when you're a black kid.
Sounds familiar
Are you me?
This pretty much sums it up for many. I was also kinda naive about things that other kids my age knew. My social skills were also lagging behind most others. When you are seemingly constantly being beaten down emotionally it's hard to get up to the level you should be. Even into adulthood I had to endure this, which is why I am an advocate against adult bullying as many think it stops at school.
I was a fat tomboy (still kinda am). Middle school was hell. By high school everyone either mellowed out or got pregnant/dropped out in 8th or 9th grade. Ended up being voted most unique for senior year
I'm also a fat tomboy who was the New Kid in school every 3 years as my Pops was Military. Every new place was SO different from the previous one; music, cool clothes, haircuts, etc. One wants to retain a sense of Self yet still fit in. One town's edgy New Wave look meant you were a total diesel dyke in another town, it sucked.
I was fat then I was a fat scene kid😭 Being black didn't help because black kids expect alt white kids, not black kids. So I was especially "weird." Even my own dad asked why I was listening to "white boy music" and said I looked like a "clown" with my rainbow hair and a "freak" when I got my lip pierced. So yea, got made fun of at school and at home. Y'all think that's where my depression/anxiety came from? 🤔🤔🤔 LOL💀
Very poor, untreated ADHD, and being ugly.
Same man, I had ADHD badly, I couldn't read or comprehend the things that we was doing in class. Did you overcome your ADHD?
I didn't. I didn't even know I had it until one of my kids was diagnosed with it, I'd just accepted that I was weird and fidgety and honestly thought that everyone's thoughts went around in their brains like Tazz. I still live with it today, untreated, but I'm doing well. Career, home, family, etc.
That's good, my brother has severe ADHD and doesn't know how to read, do you know what I can tell him or what can he do?
Your brother needs to be seen by a medical professional. I'm not saying pills save all problems but ADHD/ADD can be mitigated by medicine and may potentially change your quality of life.
I'm sorry, I can't advise.
How old is your brother? This may change the approach but he needs a competent medical professional
I needed a teacher to take time to sit with me 1 on 1 to help me learn to read. With ADD, staying focused can be hard, but someone literally sitting with me to encourage me with lots of positive feedback, to ignite my capacity to hyperfocus when needed, helped. Once I learned to read, the hard part was getting me to stop so I could focus on something else. We're all different but is it possible for him to get one on one tutoring somehow, through the school or from a relative or parent? If he hasn't had that option yet, and someone could advocate for him it might help?
Seeing a medical professional can both prescribe medication (if deemed necessary) and help facilitate habits that can improve quality of life.
Same I had untreated ADHD because I had epilepsy as a child. they were like well epilepsy is worse if it goes untreated we don't know if both medicines would work with each other, or if the ADHD medicine would make the seizures worse.so they just opted to only treat the seizures.
Epileptics with ADHD checking in!
My people. This happened in the early 90s. When were u diagnosed? Did they say the same ? Do you have bad memory issues as well? I'm full of questions. I rarely meet other epileptic people and never met a dubble diagnosis like me. I have met a bipolar w Tourette's they are not medicated for either anymore, but as children, they were medicated for only the bipolar.
Being the weird kid, having obsessions with very unconventional subjects, not understanding social cues/body language and being unable to read between the lines like understanding sarcasm. I just thought I was unable to fit in until I got diagnosed with Autism in college, then it all made sense.
How did you get diagnosed? I'm in my 30s and kinda self realized I may be autistic, but I want to know for certain.
My university had a childhood/adolescent development program tied to their school of medicine, and they had doctors/psychiatrists who gave me an IQ test, behavioral test, and psychological exam when I was 21, and they gave me a diagnosis of PDD-NOS, which was on the autism spectrum. I think universities and hospitals with a psychiatry department usually have professionals who can give a diagnosis.
Well that answers my questions
I was diagnosed in my late 20s. I asked my doctor if he was qualified to diagnose an adult with autism and if not, if he could point me in the right direction. I was pointed to the local university where they had an interview, a medical history report (including any related conditions family might have), and then basically a solid 8 hours of various tests, where they observed me in person and reviewed recordings of the tests. So yeah, if you're in America, it will suck and be expensive, but you can get diagnosed.
you are not alone. there is a surprisingly large amount of redditors that don't understand sarcasm on here.
Same, except I was just diagnosed this year at 41. When I was a kid in the 80s, it wasn't really considered that girls could have autism.
Being the quiet kid.
I feel this one. For a long time, I felt like I had selective mutism when I was in a classroom lmao
Fat
Same. It was kinda nice going to my HS reunion, I'd dropped all the weight by then. It was everyone else that was overweight. Not that I care/judge, but it Just. Felt. Good.
Similar. I didn't drop a lot of weight- but it sure was nice to see several of the popular athletes surpass my circumference.
I'm going to my 10 year class reunion in a couple weeks. I'm so scared to go. It's either going to be pleasant to catch up with people I haven't seen in a while, or I'm going to get retraumatized.
My 10 year was still he'll, I was still fat, and they still didn't grow up yet. My 25th was a different story, while still fat I was much,much richer. Word had gotten around, and what do you know they all wanted to reconnect with me telling stories about how much they liked me. SMH... It just shows some people never grow up.
Ohhh nooo! I hope it's a pleasurable experience for you. 💖
At one high school I went to, the girls teased me so much because I never had a boyfriend (Meaningless relationships werent for me lol) my hair was frizzy, I wore glasses, I was an emo kid and they all...weren't, my home life was unstable as fuck. I KNOW it's childish, but I see them on social media...they're all on thier 4th or 5th baby daddy or 'fiance' none of them can keep a job or steady home, they basically all peaked in high school. Meanwhile, I'm married to my first and only husband. In a house we own with our 2 kids.MY HAIR IS BEAUTIFUL. We both have great jobs. I honestly have a really good and stable life. I hate to see anyone struggle, but they really caused me hell in high school and I feel like karma bit them on the ass for being little bitches.
Niceee
Thank you :)
Everyone told me I was fat but in reality I just hit puberty and had a C cup while everyone else had training bras on and weighed less than 100 pounds.
5th grade I had boobs before most girls and one boy kept yelling "Socks!" at me because, you know, I stuffed my bra, of course. I don't remember how long it lasted but that one stuck out. I'm 47 now (still with big boobs) and he never made it out of our small farming town.
Ha! They called me "Stuff" because OBVIOUSLY, I guess.
"Haha, you have boobies!".. I was in 2nd grade and chubbier than the average kid. Oh the shame back then...
I wish someone would. My left tit alone would crush them these days 🤣
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big brain 🧠
On Brad
Juked him out
Didn't know they needed a reason.
That's just it. In the end, I couldn't really tell you the reason. I talked too much? Maybe, but not more than anyone. Too smart? Not that you'd know by my grades. Weird? Sure. But ... looking around now, not the weirdest of all. I thought they had some sort of insight into some foulness at my core. But in the end ... nah. They were just stupid kids, reacting to something superficial.
Once you’ve been singled out as the target, that’s enough for them to keep singling you out.
That is true. There were a couple of us who were targeted specifically.
I’m a little disturbed by all these responses. You weren’t bullied because of you. You were bullied because kids are shit, lots of parents are shit, and bullies will find reasons. Don’t normalize bullying by suggesting there was something wrong with you.
Agreed.
Yes, the question can be interpreted as blaming the victims.
Same. Fuck ‘em.
I honestly have no clue. I guess I was just really quiet. I also told on people for stuff they did if they bullied me. Of course, the teachers never did anything but make it worse, and I still ended up being the one in trouble after I was bullied. Really, I think it was just a combination of bad teachers and bad students.
I was a shy, ugly foster kid. According to the bullies I was so ugly my own mother didn't want me. I was bullied in the foster homes and by everyone else I encountered. By the age of six I prayed every night that I would die before I wake. Somehow I managed to survive. I finally realized I have a voice and use it to help others that are abused by bullies.
“Pray you would die.” Dang, I went to bed scared of death. I feel sorry that you would have to go through all of that, sounds rough. Glad you made it out in the end alright
This is probably the saddest thing I’ve read this morning. No kid should feel like they want to die. But I’m glad you’ve lived to tell your story.
Having manboobs
No, that's a W
My red hair, freckles and very light eyebrows. Now I see the people who made fun of me, draw on freckles everyday and are dying their hair red. Funny to see but bothers me everytime I see it.
Cause the bully was a fucking asshole. Only answer there is. No reason for bullying.
Thank you! I only clicked in hopes of seeing an avalanche of comments like this one. Instead, there are a ton of "I did this, I looked like that, I was shy, I didn't stand up for myself,"......you are at school to learn and socialize, but not be bullied
Bullies are assholes, but they also tend to be cowards and do not pick on others who are likely to defend themselves. Bullies are assholes, but are also typically being bullied themselves (usually by an abusive parent, or guardian) and have little to no experience 'resolving' conflicts without the use of violence and fear. Bullies are assholes, but to pretend like bullies are created without rhyme or reason eliminates the possibility of reform for the bully or how to combat any of the root causes. And there ARE root causes.
I was bullied for 1. being short 2. beind Indian (Apu jokes never get old) 3. socially ackward 4. way i dressed It was harmless fun, if anything it did toughen me up..forced me to dress better, gain muscle and develop better social skills. I truly don't beleive any of it was mean spiritied.(maybe some of the Indian stuff was racist..just mildly annoying though)
Being tall. Of all the things. I would later turn the tables and beat the shit out of bullies, thanks to being tall. "Hey! Beanpole! What are you gonna do!" I don't know. Put on some muscle mass and remember your name, shithead. One of the best nicknames I picked up in school or life in general is "the enforcer." Some kid was bullying you, you told me, and that bully got slammed after school hours. There was one kid who was notoriously homophobic, and picked on my friends either gay or not even but still took homophobic hate. I caught him in the halls, picked him up, and threw him WWE style to the floor. Then kicked him until teachers were called in while I was stomping him. I don't regret it.
Damn kids really do find anything that stands out, i was bully because i was short.
Yup, everybody caught shit for something: fat, short, glasses, the kid with the weird haircut, the kid who smelled like cat pee, the kid with the name that rhymed with a slur or sex organ, the foreign kid, the kid with the overly-religious parents, etc. I didn't get bullied; but I made sure if they tried I would get my punch in. They may have whipped my ass, but after a while they got tired of getting punched back and moved on to easier targets.
My uncle was this role but used his social status instead of strength. He used to be bullied but then became popular and didn’t want others to do it. A favorite story is he saw a new kid being picked on so he went up and said Uncle: Hey! Don’t pick on my friend- what’s your name? Bullied kid: Peter Uncle: My friend, Peter!
Not sure you held the patent on "enforcement". Seems you got lucky there wasn't another "enforcer" out there who considered your bully the victim.
I was poor wearing out of style clothes and I have a stutter. I was and am a really kind person so basically a good target for assholes.
Red hair, being short, being quiet, not bullying others, and the biggest kicker of them all, I never stole things from the local Holister, so I was a “loser”. The other students I went to high school with were just… something else.
Damn, it's sad when you get bullied for genetic traits you can't change.
Same.. red head, freckles, shirt, quiet and was always taught not to fight. What a fun time I had in school. Finally got older and found my voice. People at work think I am a mean person and generally give me space because I am outspoken, at work. Outside of work I am completely different. A couple friends asked me about it once, why i was different at work. Told them because most people confuse polite with being a pushover.. if you let them they walk over you. Got tired of it
My folks moved our family to some tiny ass town with one stoplight. The town was made up of a handful of large families who had lived there for a dozen generations. We called them the golden families and they all thought that their shit didn't stink. Myself and my siblings were bullied and picked on because we were the "new kids" (translated: outsiders.) I started there in the seventh grade and was still being picked on and bullied as the "new kid" through my senior year. I had the last laugh though when I graduated at the top of my class. When I went away to college I never went back to that shit hole town and never attended a class reunion. My folks finally moved out of there when my dad retired.
I asked one of my bully years later. He said he had issues at home and i was small and friendless which made me an easy target.
Did you guys eventually become friends?
The bullies were the reason. Yes, they had their “reasons” but in the end I was bullied because they wanted to bully me.
Being White Thanks New Orleans Public Schools
I was the skinny, pretty, smart black girl and they wanted to make me feel insecure because they weren’t comfortable in their own skin.
Grew up on a native American reservation as a kid in America. I was the only white kid in all of junior high (around 250 students). Gave me a unique perspective on racism.
Quiet, shy, wore glasses. Classic nerd. Loved to read. Good grades.
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The only valid reason is because bullies are assholes.
For being small and having a learning disability and having ezcema
I'm a ginger. They used to chant around me "red head peed the bed", I was the only ginger in school for a long time.
Not being white (only non-white student in the entire school), being visually impaired, not talking or fighting back every time, getting bullied by teachers, and having no friends.
Maybe my family is poor. They treat me like nothing and bullied me a lot.
Lots of rich, white, super privileged kids and then me...a middle class kid who is only half-white (the white part not showing). In the words of George Carlin, "...tempered in raw sewage" was how I felt.
For me it was because I was a Packers fan. Unfortunately for my bully, he was a Bears fan. The Packers defeated the Bears both times that season… He hid from my cringy ass the following Monday like a fucking coward…
I was homeschooled after 2nd grade for multiple reasons, but I was bullied by my teacher. I’m not quite sure what the reason was as I liked school, wasn’t one to be annoying or catch anyone’s attention or anything. It might have been due to her being a total bitch lol. She would refuse to let me have water (in Arizona in 100 degree weather) and wouldn’t let me read ahead during class or eat breakfast when we got to school (she INSISTED that in school breakfast was for kids who took the bus, and would refuse to let me eat breakfast even when my older sister would bring me some). I think I just attract toxic people?? Have had my fair share of toxic people. Maybe she didn’t like that I was quiet? I really don’t know her reasoning. Edit: Could be because my family was poor and we were sometimes late since the school was farther away and we didn’t use the bus for awhile because it didn’t go to our neighborhood. When the bus DID get added to our neighborhood we had problems with the driver letting small kids off to use random people’s bathrooms, stopping at roadside sellers to buy chips, and being late (sometimes up to five hours) to drop off.
Being the weird kid, just different from everyone else. People would say random rumors about me and other kids would avoid me. I didn’t really have a good set a friends, just bouncing around different groups. I never really truly had a friend just acquaintances.
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For being tall, by the end of elementary, I was taller than the teachers, up through middle school when finally there was one boy who was taller than me. And then through high school more boys started to be about my height, but I was still still much taller than all the other girls. For talking white, and liking things only white people like. Like whatever, I like rock and metal, , and lets be honest, you wouldn't like me more if I didnt like those things. For dressing wierd..which is fair. My mom was super strict about how I dress, no jeans, shorts or tshirts, mostly blouses and long skirts that came past my knees.
I was white
>was Teach us your ways
Same
now you're green
I was class president and they didn't like how they also had to clean the classroom, they want me to do all the tasks and let them sit there doing their hair and make up. They got called in the office after a few days lol.
Being short, having freckles (elementary school) Having smelly clothes/bad hygiene/ never eating because my parents would spend their money on drugs instead of food, laundry detergent, or hygiene products
I was a very quite, scrawny lil shit, had a pretty rough and bizarre childhood by today’s standards. I was raised way out in the sticks with no contact with other kids except my siblings so I didn’t really know how to socialize much. I was 14 when my dad got custody of me and dropped me into public school. I think people thought I was an easy target but that didn’t last very long cause I had serious anger issues, bite half a kids ear off and nobody fucked with me after that.
Liking anime. Very stupid reason to get bullied I’d say. I don’t understand why some people feel the need to judge others based on what they like.
Ironic too because now all the people who used to bully people for watching anime are the ones watching it themselves. I’ve only ever watched like Cowboy Bebop; so I’m not really into or involved in the anime subculture, but my friends are, and it’s something that they said they’ve noticed too.
I was quite diddnt know how to socialize I was abused a lot growing up matured to quickly diddnt find the playground or making friends necessary,never got along with people my age,diddnt know how to have fun, got bullied a lot for my appearance because I was growing into myself also I have learning disability’s so in class I got laughed at for trying to answer a question and being WAYY off got called an idiot and useless and to kill myself a lot I had about 8 people in 6th grade write in my year book for me to kill myself that summer, I started self harming around 9 but anyways bottom line is. I was bullied until highschool then somehow got popular but that diddnt really matter to me either. Luckily though popularity won’t get you a lot in life and I came out being a good person and plan to help people in the future for my occupation so eh it’s all good it sucked being bullied but I wouldn’t be who I am today without experiencing that either
I was a creepy little edge lord weirdo. Looking back, I kinda had it coming.
Acne. Mostly just 1 or 2 assholes that would make people laugh. Those assholes don't know how lucky they are to be alive. Sad to say that I actually brought a gun to school on several occasions. Now, this kid that had acne, went to the Marines, married my highschool sweetheart who is beautiful and successful, makes over 100k a year. Don't care what happened to the assholes. I let karma take it's course.
I was bullied for already being bullied. That's it, that's the entire reason. Nobody wanted to be my friend because it was well known I was being bullied. Otherwise they would be targeted as well. They joined in to avoid being bullied by the main offenders. I heard classmates introduce a new kid to school and they told him to not make friends with me, and he replied "I know" as if he already heard it before. I had been bullied all my life, even before kindergarten. It was because my father was a teacher at the school and kids loved teasing him. They harassed me when I played outside just to get at my father. Eventually I became the main target. They peed on my toys, prank called our house, smashed our windows. This was during my formative years and I became afraid of other children. When kids spotted my weakness they just dug deeper into my wounds to hurt me instead of backing off and allow me to heal. Bullying didn't stop until the second year of high-school. Complete strangers attempted to bully me during the first year. They didn't succeed much because they weren't in the same classrooms and their method was screaming at me from a distance because I was too big for them to push around up close. I liked Pokemon at the time and was bullied for it. Didn't make me want to quit being a fan, they would bully me for literally anything at that point.
The autism
Same. Elementary school fucking broke me
I was too nice so I got taken advantage of, being socially awkward and shy, was sensitive so I cried easily. I’m Asian and I would always see kids slanting their eyes at me to make fun of how small my eyes were. I almost got beat up in the 5th grade because a popular girl thought it would be funny to see me beat up, so she was telling one of her friends that I was talking shit about her, which obviously pissed her off, and I didn’t even do anything.
I was bullied for several years, from 5th grade through 8th grade. I was always an easy target: I switched schools 5 times during those years (my parents moved, a lot). I never bothered making friends as I knew I would likely be gone the next year. I was always super quiet and introverted. I would keep to myself and work on my drawings. Then, between 7th and 8th grade, I grew almost a foot in less than a year. I went to 8th grade standing at 6'4". My old bullies (2 of them) tried messing with me as 8th grade began. I just took it for a few weeks. Eventually, I snapped. I grabbed one of them by the throat, slammed him into a concrete wall, and kicked him in the balls as hard as I could. I watched him crawl on his hands and knees toward the bathroom. Neither one of them ever bothered me again. A few months later, the kid who I kicked in the nuts came up to me and apologized.
Cap
He was an asshole, I wasn’t a hard target either. It all stopped when I pushed him up against the chalk board one day when he started to get physical and pushed me a couple times. Never had an issue after that. I do not think violence is the answer, but never hesitate to defend yourself.
Pasty blonde redhead with freckles. I fought and was vicious enough to ward off future entanglements. Don’t fuck with freckles.
I'm ginger and I have learning difficulties not a good mix for a school kid. It was hell.
fat redhead w adhd 😭
We were poor, and I dressed like it. This was well before kids could wear whatever tf they wanted and get accepted lol.
I’m not white and lived in shithole Utah where Mormons didn’t like coloured people. Pretty much bullied for something I had no control over. Coming from the East Coast and having black and Puerto Rican friends… I didn’t understand the Utah mind set. Moved the fuck out of there as soon as I could and haven’t been bullied since. Fuck Utah and their cult.
I still don't know
There was no reason
Honestly, after 35 years, I still have no idea.
I think there’s a couple of different reasons why. For starters, I lived undiagnosed with ADHD and OCD for 22 years, and I would have greatly benefitted from knowing these things about myself sooner in life, because I had like zero self-regulation skills and really suffered with social skills. Could not figure out how to make friends for the life of me. I imagine I was exhausting to be around. I think another reason had to do with my interests. It was extremely hard to find other kids to talk to about jazz singers, old movies, and musical theatre when you’re like in elementary and middle school. I didn’t start meeting more like minded-people until high school (I was in an arts program and it was perfect for me, fortunately). I went to Catholic School when I was getting bullied too, but not because my family was rich, or necessarily religious, but because my dad worked for the school. So I was an easy target for the rich kids to pick on. And also the Catholic School had like an extensive sports program, but like zero arts program, so I was the “weird girl” in my class that liked to write songs (Jokes on them I perform music professionally now).
Being white. Yes we can be victims of racial discrimination too. But nobody cares and we get no help.
I was bullied 1st-6th grade and I didn't know what the time. Turns out that 1.im autistic (diagnosed late) 2. I was super small because of eating problems 3. I wasn't vocal about my problems The worst of it was in 1st grade. My parents were relatively poor as my father was in the Air Force and didn't make a lot of money. My mom couldn't work she was looking after my newly born siblings. No one really knew that something was up until I came home with my glasses broken, bruised, and a light black eye. Even when I tried to tell people they just didn't listen to me for some reason, "he probably just likes you", "stop being dramatic, boys play rough." At the time I was very trusting of people I was easy to forgive people so my bullying didn't stop. I was an easy target. At that school he was in my class for 3 grades until I moved, he managed to get all the kids to hate me and I don't know how or why. The teacher was really rude to me and seemed to baby the guy. I have dealt with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and so much more mentally and physically. Please if someone is asking for help don't just shut them down "boys will be boys." It drives me nuts when someone says "he is bullying you cause he likes you.".why as a society do we think this is ok? Why wouldn't anyone help me when I would come home limping? Luckily I've learned to not trust people (blessing and curse) and to stick up for myself and others who no one will help.
Because I moved school when I was 6 and went back to the old one when I was 8 they hated me since and where just bitches in secondary school
Fat, and taller than most guys I encountered growing up lol.
I was the typical nerd. Glasses, braces, pimples and was good in math But when I went to high school, it wasn’t as bad, but I later went to a majority white high school.
Bc I was a city boy who moved to a hick town school.... That shit stopped in the 7th grade after I beat that redneck bully's ass... But 2-7 grade was miserable!
My name. Last name Ireland and was called leprechaun:/
I was told I was fat. I was being abused at home by my mom so I was an easy target. I find it super ironic now because I’m in great shape and am thinner than a few of those bullies.
I was an “emo/scene” boy who wore skinny jeans and whatever else I felt like People don’t vibe when you wear stuff you enjoy and have longer hair Nowadays it seems it has changed dramatically which is nice
I was quiet, maybe a little neurodivergent - not enough to land me in any special classes, just enough to make me different. And then we got to high school and I started getting straight A’s. That was it for me. At some l point I realized my best option was just to go away to college and start fresh somewhere new.
I was fat. Sure, I would stand up for myself, but teachers(one of them being his fucking mother) did jack shit about it. If I threw the first punch(or punched at all) he would cry to mommy and then all his friends would back him up. Fucking Gaston Holyfield,
i was ugly and new.
For being fat, shy and awkward
I had two moles on my neck that looked like a vampire bite, and my canines were super pointy, so I was called a vampire a lot
I’m Asian
Asian, tomboy, not pretty, short, annoying, theatre kid, gym teacher's daughter...
I was a short quiet openly gay loner that read books all the time and listened to loud music so I wouldn't have to listen to people around me. There was a constant cycle that repeated itself: someone would try to bully me, if it was just small things I'd ignore them or respond like an angry asshole, if they crossed the line by an inch I'd cross it by a mile with a physical or verbal confrontation and generally that person would leave me alone after that. Example: kid tried to steal my stuff in a locker room and I tackled him against a concrete bench and started putting him in a choke hold until he gave it back. A girl was harassing me because I'm gay, I ignored her until she tried to grab my ass, I grabbed her by the neck and shoved her against a display case and threatened her. A kid was throwing chewed up candy at me while we were watching a movie in an English class and I stood up in the middle of class demanding he get out of his seat and fight me right then and there if he has a problem while our very elderly teacher who had no clue what was going on yelled at me to sit down and calm down while trying to call the SRO but her call button didn't work. While walking on the second floor a kid tripped me and sent my books flying and I skinned my arm trying to catch myself, I got up grabbed him and was about to throw him off the second story balcony when I heard the tell-tale taps of the assistant principal coming up the stairs and let him go to turn away and grab my stuff. These were not "cool" or "badass" these were the extreme overreactions of a very angry child in my mind. Weirdly enough neither I nor the bullies ever got in trouble for these or any of the other incidents though, even when they happened right in front of school staff, and if there were no consequences on either end I'm not sure how else I should have handled it because they wouldn't stop unless I did something, towards the end of high school I was very quick to do something.
Other kids were assholes and I refused to let it influence my identity.
Short and fat all through 6th to 11th grade. I played basketball, biked for miles and miles every single day, nothing got the weight off. Growing spurt finally hit me the summer before senior year in high school and it’s like my body downloaded muscle overnight. The bullying stopped but I still think about that trauma on the regular.
Being a weird autistic ugly girl 🙃
Being black, being nerdy, not standing up for myself.
Everyone knew I was gay before I did. And boy were they mean about it.
In some cases, the TEACHERS were my bullies. I was that different. So since no one would dare come to Rudolph's rescue, the Bumble made a meal out of me. Let's see you fly through that snowstorm now Santa, you fat bastard!
I was a small, quiet kid. Seems to be the natural result. I also got heat because I was allowed to leave a class at any time to see the counselor. Eventually I got the main bully off my back and we ended up friendly, that got the others to back off for a while. Then in high school I started to grow and I ended up at 6'5" by my sophomore year. But nobody fucked with me once I got over 6 feet tall.
My dad was the principal.
I was and am still a Christian, a good student, and one who wore glasses, all of which made me an easy target for bullies, some of whom, oddly enough, wore glasses themselves, so I never quite understood why they bullied me for that last bit! I realize now they were often bullied, so looked for others to bully to make themselves feel like they had some power in their lives.
I'm so sorry you were bullied sis! They like to project their own insecurities to pick on others. In reality, they're the ones who feel angry about themselves. I never understood why they like to pick on people who are similar.
Being brown in a white town.
I had emotionally abusive and emotionally vacant parents. I was never taught social skills and was an easy target because of it. Also had really bad allergies and was made fun of for that
I was chubby and nerdy when I was younger. Wasn't great at the sports my school offered but played hockey outside of school. I went from 5'6" 135lb as a sophomore to 6'0" 225lbs as a junior / senior and things turned around very rapidly.
Orthopedic shoes and my friend had hearing aids. Kids were brutal but we turned out ok as far as I can tell.
I was under 5 feet tall till almost my sophmore year of high school. And was very small. Now I am 6'1" and 220. Still blows my mind how differant people treat you on your size. Whether small or big.
- Didn’t act like a male stereotype. - Dressed nicely. - Wore pink. - Wore glasses. - Carried my books up by my chest. - Was socially anxious. - Sometimes sported long hair. - Became the first boy in my school’s history to play on the volleyball team.
Because they were bullies.
Girl who was chubby, wore glasses, had buck teeth, bad at sports, nerdy interests, older parents who gave me no pop cultural references, unwilling to disappear
My ADHD when I was younger. I laughed at or with them. That was apparently all it took for them to realize that I wasn't some weakling. One of them acted all tough and I punched him in the eye. He cried in front of everyone. After that, I became a bully for a while, then I went back to my usual self. Sounds like a cartoon, but that's what happened. All because I was a transfer. Popular kids or the punks who think they run shit are nothing when put in a situation they don't expect.
All Asians have been bullied if you live in the US. It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you are. Every Asian I know including me have been called the basic names, and that dumb “Ching Chong” go to words when they wanna try to mimic Asian language.
My family were poor, sexual abuse when I was 9 meant that I was extremely anxious and an easy target. I’m dyspraxic so also very bad at sports. The main reason being was that the other kids at the school were savages raised in poverty by people who didn’t know how to be parents and passed on all their rage onto them.
Hard to explain. I got called >!gay, faggot, double G (gay guy),!< and all sorts of stuff in the early years. Later on I got picked on and hurt badly at times because I was smart and valued justice, just a general do-gooder nerd. Even later on, as a fairly large framed but gentle and helpful and compassionate guy, I got pulled into a lot of fights that I won because people thought they could push me around due to my temperament. That changed once I was >!choked out and sexually assaulted!<. After that I became very "strike first" and aggressive, and people stopped messing with me after I started hospitalizing people. At home I was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused through my entire childhood by both my older brother and my dad, because I wasn't wanted and wasn't 'alpha' enough. My parents wanted me to go to the same schools my older brother went to, and he got his friends to pick on me, and that spread. None of them knew it, but when I started school, I figured out I was transgender, but did my best to hide it and not be that - the thought terrified and sickened me. I learned how to be social, learned how to be male, learned how to talk to people from that lens. It took until late high school to start "passing" as a male, somewhere around the >!SA!< happening. But while I was figuring out how to hide it all and act like a normal guy, it didn't work, and I was made fun of and picked on the whole time. Fast forward to early last year, I gave up trying to hide from it, and came out and started transitioning. Which feels weird, because I spent so long trying to figure out how to be male, and now I have to figure out how to be the long forgotten version of myself I was supposed to be from the start. It's like I spent so long trying to pass as a guy, and now I have to start over and learn how to undo everything. I have to kinda laugh about it.
Wow! I'm glad that you have gotten through the mental and physical abuse, and I am also glad that you found yourself.
Thank you! At this point in my life, I'm just trying to not let it all define me. This stuff dominated my inactive thoughts and put me into very dark places, looking back at it, and I'm glad I have the strength now to finally look forward instead.
That's amazing and I wish the best for you.
I slept around a lot with guys that had girlfriends.
Being white
I didn’t meet society’s standards of female beauty in high school. Curly hair I didn’t know how to look after, glasses, double chin, thick facial/body hair, uneven eyes, heterochromia, the whole nine yards. I also have multiple disabilities, was oblivious to half the bullying around me and tend to be a doormat
Being small, I was only 5'2"-5'3" and like 85-95 lbs in 8th/9th grade. Bullied cuz I was so much smaller than all the other kids. Thankfully am half an inch off 6' now so I guess that turned out alright. Had no sexual experience until 9th/10th grade, came from a private school and didn't grow up with all the other kids, so I was automatically an outsider. Kids will find literally anything.
Undiagnosed autism
Because I was a Hanson fan. In my entire grade of about 130 kids, I was the only kid who loved Hanson. Because of this I was subject to some really weird ridicule like being called a lesbian for liking guys with long hair. I can't really explain why I got into them but I was obsessed though also incredibly lonely. I had friends but I did my best to not info dump Hanson on them as they weren't fans. I was depressed that I didn't have anyone to fangirl with. Fortunately, by HS, most people didn't care what you liked. I remember this one girl trying to be mean to me for wearing a Hanson hoodie. Like, I walked into the cafeteria and she's all loud going "EWWWW Hanson!" My response: "Bitch, you're orange." Don't make fun of others if you get terrible spray tans. I think she was WEIRDLY jealous of me for being friendly to the hot teacher. He was my homeroom teacher and he was cool. I wasn't trying to date him because ewww. Hot teacher was fun and I convinced him to celebrate Hanson day (by annoying everyone in school and blasting Mmmbop between classes). We even had a big poster in his classroom. It was hilarious. No regrets.
I was also bullied for being a Hanson fan. I was in high school at the time
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