On bullying

So... I was reading some comments on the thread about the girl who got voted homecoming queen as a joke (was it a knock on her or the whole idea?)

It made me think. Physical bullying is quite easy to stand up to. But emotional bullying is not,

When I was at school I got called names sometimes, I didnt really like it. When I was 11/12 in middle school the headmistress (principle) called me a "fat slob" in front of the whole school, and then later that day all these kids were dancing round me singing "fatso, fatso" and so on. I picked one kid and hit him square in the jaw and nobody else was talking..

Am I a bully cos I hit someone (and hurt him) just for talking?

Or was I the victim?

 

It's also a lot harder to detect, and it runs a LOT more rampant. If you punch someone in the nose, it's pretty obvious that someone got punched in the nose. If you're being called an fat Amazon, on the other hand, sometimes the only symptom is a quiet child.

Strange Famous, I agree with Borla. You were acting out in a way that is completely understandable for someone who is incessantly teasing you.

 

You know it never ends. People seem to target the weak or should I say they believe them to be weak.
I'm very easy going and let a lot roll off my back, but for some reason people pick up on that and take full advantage.
Their are a few at work that can not stand my positive attitude and try to crucify me every chance they get. They are bullies in my eyes and will never win. It just makes me wiser and work harder to achieve my goal.
I believe if that happened to me in high school I would have done the same; it's called overload, time to release a little pressure or explosion is dangerously close.
Time to let the past go and become smarter and wiser. No longer a victim!

 

Bullyism is a really a pain, and I agree with you that the physicological bullying leaves far worse mark than the physical one (even if often both things are running in the same direction).

In Italy we don't have all these "popularity" thing with the homecoming/prom queen and the end year ballet (we prefer students concerts), even if due to telefilms and movies is slowly getting foot, thus the bullying is maybe less pronunciated than what I saw in the states, and more for political/religious reason than for popularity ones...

 

I'm right there with you. I did it all right beforehand too, talked to teachers, my parents, the principal - walked away when I could. Nothing changed until I grabbed a guy and bounced him off the lockers a few times. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. I don't think you were a bully or a victim, nor is is particularly meaningful to try to slap a label on it. You did what you needed to for your own sanity.

Personally, I think people make way too big of a deal of brawling. There are worse things and as long as the folks involved have some sense of themselves nobody really gets injured.