Quick! Bully him, he's smart!

[Kurokami]

So my dear escapists...

Here I was, casually surfing the web when a thought struck my mind. I can't remember what it was, but it pulled up the memory of school ( one I dislike ). A lot of you may have experience this too, where the other children will pick on the "smart" kids, for...well? Being smart. I got it most in science, because Physics came to me much faster than any others in my group. This got me thinking, why do they pick on the "smart" kids? Just because we understand what we were being taught and picked it up is grounds to bully us? Maybe it was them thinking we were weird or just different. I'm not sure.

What do you think escapists?

* I am by no means calling myself smart ( Before you think I'm arrogant ), hell Science was one of the only subjects I was good at...

EDIT: This is from a UK based school - I understand some of the response are aimed towards the US schools, so to add further discussion, how do US schools differ from UK based schools in terms of bullying and behaviour towards other students?

To be frank, in New Zealand I feel the 'popular' kids and such are simply those who have decent social skills and looks. Being smart often appeared to be a bonus, as well. Yes, there are some 'nerds' who had people talk behind their backs and insult them and such... But in high school that was just about everyone. The only real distinction was social skills, and I don't think being outcast for that is difficult to comprehend. Maybe I was just lucky to go to my school.

 

[WanderingFool]

Bullies tend to pick on smart kids to compensate for not being as smart.

 

[teqrevisited]

In my experience it was nothing to do with intelligence. Pre-existing friend groups from former schools stuck together and depending on how well they got on with other groups they'd annoy each other or have an uneasy alliance. For example, in the top classes I knew people who hung around with those in the lower classes.

I wasn't particularly high on the popularity ladder, but we got on with each other. The people that didn't know me didn't attempt to cause any trouble because they thought I was dangerous. Not saying a great deal and being tall is a winning combination.

 

[Da pyro man 999]

I don't really know why, i was picked on at school because i was fat. But, after a while, i turned from fat into ball of muscle and all my problems cleared up.

 

[TheNaut131]

It's not intelligence, it's difference. If you have something that significantly differentiates you from everyone else, even a single event, you are fucked...significantly. More or so, if you show a reaction to the ridicule. Even if no one really acknowledges it, there will be always be a few assholes waiting to bring it up. Some kids can suck it up for awhile, but it will get to them after awhile especially if they don't have any actual outlets. They may enjoy being alone, or not hanging around as many people but that will still pick people out. Especially body language.

They can pick on you for anything. From the type of pants you wear, the type of music you listen to, having a widows peak, farting in class, "looking like a certain presidential candidate", having a weird middle name which for some reason is apparently your first name, since social security says it is, but for some reason I was never told this and now from Middle school, to High School, to college, will have to be referred tom on attendance list and having to explain myself over and OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND FUCKING OVER AN-...they can pick on you for anything. But then it's all really about how they react to it...which for the most part, the one doing the bullying doesn't care, they just want to point and laugh since sarcasm and joking goes right over their head.

Now, time to be honest. As many have said in this thread, some people deserve to be ridiculed for their ridiculous actions. They may not necessarily be bad, or understand how people react to what they do. Some kids are too excited, act really strange, act smug etc, etc. Truthfully, though they mean no harm, need to be pulled back to reality and get a little kick. Eventually, they will calm down, will reconsider what they do, or simply be quiet and try to not to catch too much attention. There's just one problem: they never stop. Never. They never stop being ridiculed, being humiliated, even after they've learned their lesson. At least one asshole will constantly remind them of their failures, their problems, their flaws.

During elementary this can be pretty minimal and not too significant but still enough to be an issue. Around Middle School, kids tend to get a bit more vicious, don't give a fuck about anything, just want to be irritating. Now High school is truly the game changer. People are maturing, forgetting about past prejudices because they have their own shit to worry about. You have to go out of your way to truly get people to mess with you. If you have a past in any of these scenarios, than that will determine how people react.

TLR It's all about behind different, how you act, a how you react, and the general mindset of everyone around you. A.K.A social skills. However, no matter how social or not, some people are gonna be pricks no matter what, whether they are smart, dumb, weird, etc, etc. If someone learns not to act a certain way and get people to mess with them, doesn't matter because someone will still mess with that person.

 

[2fish]

It's not to do with smart. Kids pick on kids who are socially awkward or who distance themselves from the pack. You can't honestly claim that those who are especially slow aren't picked on?

snip

I have to agree with this post and posts similar to it. Not all smart kids get bullied. just as not everyone who break off from the pack get picked on. I was smart in some subjects, dumb in others and often broke off from social norms.

I was not picked on though, school is like prison you show fear or too much ego and a fight starts. Some people just scream pick on me with their body language. As stated above socially awkward or removing yourself from the pack can cause this.

I fear I am not a great one to ask for advice as I have a sharp tongue and am willing to back it up with my fists.

It is amazing what confidence can get you through in school.

 

[Tzekelkan]

At my school, all my class's toughest guys used to protect me because I always gave them my homework. I was never bullied for being top of my class, on the contrary, the big guys were nice to me so I'd help them.

 

[Shock and Awe]

Honestly I have never really noticed people being picked on for just being smart. People are picked on for being weak or at least giving that impression to the wrong people in addition to starting something, or being perceived as have started something. The only time I have ever been bullied is when I was seen as weak back in Middle School and pissed off someone with a giant image of themself. I fought back and his head met locker, so I no longer had the image so I wasn't bullied. I have a reputation for being a smart fuck and I haven't been touched, partially because I have a fairly tough look(high and tight hair cut, pretty thickly built but obviously not fat, ect) but even little guys who are smart don't get much because they rarely start anything.(maybe they are to smart to?) The point I am trying to make is I have never seen anyone go out of their way to bully someone for being smart.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

I'd say it's an issue of insecurity. The "dumb bully" type of bully will see another student excelling at something they have trouble with, which hurts their already pathetic self-esteem, so they need to take the smart kid down a few pegs to assert their superiority and protect their self image.

Of course, that's only one type of bully. different bully types will pick on kids for different reasons. In my case, it was because I was just an easy target (naive, weak, kind and dealing with personal issues), not because I was too smart.

 

[Baldry]

I was never bullied for being smart, no I know ever was because they were smart. Though when some one got bullied it was usually because they seemed like a easy victim and the bullies were just dicks who even thought each other.

 

[000Ronald]

In my experience (with bullies) there are two kinds:

1) People who are picked on by someone bigger and stronger than them, and lash out at weaker people as a result, and

2) People who feel a sense of entitlement, and feel that they're better than others for one reason or another.

There were a lot of the first kind where I grew up. I dealt with it because I was keenly aware that it would be unfair to them for me to hurt them more. Later on in life I came across the second kind, and ignored them as much as I could because I only encountered them in school.

In both cases, I very purposely allowed myself to be a victim. And there's the distinction.

Bullies don't pick on people they think are better than them; that doesn't follow. What they do is pick on people who seem like easy targets. If you don't want to be a target, don't be a victim.

 

[martin's a madman]

Yeah, I was a 'smart kid' in highschool and I was perfectly fine. But I have pretty developed social skills, and I'm very outgoing.

I can communicate well and with humour, I'm also friendly.

Highschool was a pretty good experience for me, so I can't really complain.


EDIT: Sorry that this sounds like an Ad trying to sell me.

Unless you're buyin' ; )

 

[Beryl77]

People bully often others to compensate some kind of complex, like an inferiority complex or because they didn't learn it any different at home or it's simply to show who's the alpha animal. The reason why they pick smarter kids is because they are considered to be weak and they don't defend themselves. Also, smarter people, especially the ones who know that they're smart, tend to be a bit pretentious.

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

People don't pick on nerds because they're smart.

People pick on nerds because they're easy to pick on and rarely fight back.

 

[Slick Samurai]

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I suppose this is the point in the conversation when I must clarify my point of view on what "bullying" is by definition. Bullying is when someone shows you that you are different. A view that would at first seem to contradict my earlier statements, but let me finish. When I say someone who shows you are different, I mean they show you that you cannot conform to peer pressure.

Various methods define certain aspects of the act, but they are one in the same in the outcome. You feel bad about yourself. That one week in primary school may have been what you define as bullying, but it wasn't what your subconscious defines it as. Really, any social interaction points out your quirks that social interaction has made.

What is "growing up"? Maybe it means being more responsible, or maturing as some might call it. But what defines this? Acting like your fellow peers. No matter how old you get, bullying never stop because peer pressure never stops. Whether you feel it or not, your peers will always be there. They don't have to actively pick on you because you do that for them. Somewhere down the line someone pointed out to you that you were different. Maybe you've accepted that but you always remind yourself of it.

You can never "grow up" by the regulated standards because you will always be different from the standards. Yet you and perhaps others consider yourself an adult because you've accepted this. You would have never accepted that you were different if it was never pointed out to you. Thus, any trauma you or someone else as endured allowed them to grow up.

 

[Mercsenary]

So my dear escapists...

Here I was, casually surfing the web when a thought struck my mind. I can't remember what it was, but it pulled up the memory of school ( one I dislike ). A lot of you may have experience this too, where the other children will pick on the "smart" kids, for...well? Being smart. I got it most in science, because Physics came to me much faster than any others in my group. This got me thinking, why do they pick on the "smart" kids? Just because we understand what we were being taught and picked it up is grounds to bully us? Maybe it was them thinking we were weird or just different. I'm not sure.

What do you think escapists?

* I am by no means calling myself smart ( Before you think I'm arrogant ), hell Science was one of the only subjects I was good at...

EDIT: This is from a UK based school - I understand some of the response are aimed towards the US schools, so to add further discussion, how do US schools differ from UK based schools in terms of bullying and behaviour towards other students?

Because you are different?

They have a inferiority complex?

 

[NinjaDuckie]

The way my mum put it when I was in school was thus:
"You're smart, so the stupid kids see that as a threat. And you're chivalrous as a rule, so the rude kids see that as a threat. That's why they bully you. Because they're jealous."

Personally I think they just bullied me because I wore glasses, had a stupid last name and a posh accent. :|

 

[Khada]

The short answer is:

1. Inadequacy complex
2. Abused at home, thus taught such behavior is OK.
3. Abused at home, needs to pass it on to someone weaker so they don't feel like the victim.

Those are the 3 common ones to me.

 

[Soods]

This is my theory

Bob the Bully fails in the test, he notices that Adolf the A-getter got A from the test, just like Adolf always does. Bob the Bully does what he does best.

I wasn't really bullied, even though I was the best on my class every year. Though I was also gigantic compared to other kids (and I let others see the answers from my notebook).