Bullying: has it happened to you?

[Whispering Cynic]

Yes, during the first four years (mainly in 3rd and 4th) of elementary school - everything from verbal abuse to physical one. I was an idiot back then, raised as a catholic, having the whole "turn the other cheek" ideology drilled into me from an early age didn't help, I was also affraid of seriously hurting others if I defended myself. My friends never helped me, teachers were useless, parents powerless, praying to god... goes without saying how effective *that* proved to be.

But at one point I snapped - I gave in to the rage that was building inside for all that time: I fought back, beat one of the bullies until I had blood on my hands, never had any trouble after that. The experience opened my eyes, I finally realized that the only person I can really rely on is myself. It was a breaking point in my life, the begining of a path leading to... well, freedom. To think I owe it to a bunch of moronic brats...

 

[abdul]

I actually thought people were just exaggerating about their school years up until roughly a year ago,when someone linked statistics about bullying on this very site.I think it was about the probability of getting bullied,it listed a bunch of countries and to my surprise my country was actually 3rd or 5th best on it,with very small chance of experiencing any kind of bullying if at all.

So no,my class never had any problems in elementary school,after that I attended an IT high school so girls were pretty much non-existant there.We had no dramaz with a guy only class bar a few teases between metalheads and technolovers and even those petty differences "evaporated" quickly along with the alcohol they bought on 2-7 days long school trips,they pretty much instantly became bff.So yeah,we had small cliques like everywhere else but they had no probs interacting with each other like normal human beings.

After reading these stories,suppose I should consider myself pretty lucky.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

Yes. Mostly verbal, although there was quite a good deal of physical intimidation too, and sometimes it came to blows.
I've gotten over most of it, after a decade or so, although a bunch of mental scars and odd(and annoying) idiosyncrasies (like hilariously low self-esteem) remain to this day. Even so, I've made peace with it and even talked to some of the bullies years later and gotten (and accepted) apologies.

 

[uberDoward]

Yes. Bullied in middle school / early high school, until 10th grade ('99).

Finally had enough of it from this senior on the bus, I busted his head against the back window and threw him out of the bus.

Had another time where I bounced a junior's head off the wall in weight lifting class with a 2.5lbs weight.

Nobody messed with me after I returned to school (was expelled for 2 weeks).

 

[Ratties]

Always the guy that got into fights. Know here is my stance on bullying. Dumb enough to mess with a stranger, you deserve to go to the hospital. Remember figuring out real quick that human beings are spiteful, they will come after you if you humiliate them. Everyone knows what it is like to have a crowd laughing at you after you get your ass kicked. Was always the kid that had to pulled off of who ever I was hitting over and over again.