Was you bullied as a kid?

I was bullied as a kid. It almost ruined my adult life. For almost two decades, I considered the abuse something everyone goes through. But all I was doing was running from the pain. Birthdays mean different things to different people.

How does bullying affect a person’s life?

1. Friends This is the most important way bullying affects your life because you often feel like you have nobody to rely on when you’re being picked on every day. In fact, it’s been found that people who have been bullied are significantly less likely to develop close friendships.

Do victims of bullying grow up to be worse off?

In general, victimized kids grew up to do better than the kids who bullied them. They made more money, had more friends, and were much, much less likely to be convicted of a crime—but they still did worse than those who weren’t bullied at all. And their mental and physical health tended to be worse than everyone else.

Did you get bullied in high school for thinking you were pretty?

Yes, in high school, I was bullied relentlessly by other girls who accused me of, “thinking that I was pretty.” The image that I projected, perfect posture, self worth, and effective communication skills were instilled in us by our father, a loyal and committed military man.

How do victims of bullying feel about themselves?

Victims of bullying often spend years minimizing the bullying, dismissing it, or pretending it didn’t happen. Or, they succumb to feelings of guilt, shame, or self-blame, believing if they had been different or tried harder the bullying would not have happened.

Are schools doing enough to make bullying stop?

Therefore, when the telling backfires and their child gets treated even worse, parents inevitably accuse the school of not doing enough to make the bullying stop. The truth is that the schools are trying very hard to make the bullying stop, but what they do usually makes it worse.

What to do if you have been bullied at school?

Seek Trauma Support Sometimes healing from a childhood trauma like bullying requires outside help and support. Talk to your family doctor and get recommendations for a counselor that specializes in healing from childhood traumas. 5  A counselor will help you process and make sense of what happened to you.

Why are we so hyper-vigilant about our children being bullied?

Even those of us who have wonderful and blessed lives and have developed positive self-esteem in adulthood look back at specific times during our childhoods with great pain. When our children reach the age at which we were bullied, we become hyper-vigilant because we expect that our kids will be bullied.

How do victims of bullying deal with the consequences of bullying?

Many times, victims of bullying isolate themselves and try to deal with the consequences of bullying on their own. 4  If the bullying you experienced as a child keeps rearing its ugly head, consider talking with a counselor about your past. It also helps to talk with friends and family or find a support group in your area.

Should I write a letter to the bully who bully me?

The bullying you experienced does not define who you are. Instead, rediscover who you are and close the door on the past. Some victims of bullying have found that writing a letter (that you never mail) to the bullies helps them find closure on what happened.