Kids can really be cruel. Why is that? Simple answer, because adults don't know any better. Bullying is a learned behavior and it's time for parents to step up.
As much as we discuss bullying out in the open nowadays, it still seems like an enormous amount of kids are suffering.
We definitely have social media to thank for that. Too many people have access to easy ways to spew their hate and vitriol.
Let's hear some stories...
RedditorFarSheepherder3880wanted to hear from the survivors of bullies, they asked:
"What did you get bullied for?"
I was bullied a lot as a child. There were an endless amount of reasons; none that matter, because none of it is justified.
quiet tim and eric GIF300+
"Fatness." ~ -SonOfHam-
"Being 300+ in high school was rough. It was either: making fun of me for it, or assuming I was someone who was strong. I was neither, just a shy kid who liked cars and got fat because of health reasons and stress. Misery. Honestly. If there's one thing that everyone should avoid, it's being extremely overweight. It ruins so much of your life." ~ Saaaaaaaaab
I was in 5th grade...
"Well… I got beat up in the bathroom because some kids asked who my dad voted for and I said George W. Bush. I guess that wasn't the right answer. I was in 5th grade. I had no idea who my dad voted for. I barely knew what an election was. George Bush was just the only name I remembered hearing about on TV. Probably why 20 years later I really, really hate politics." ~ 4d3d3d3__Engaged
Appearances...
"How I looked, what I wore and what I liked (Harry Potter, etc). Class of 2008 here and I've only gotten one apology from one of the people that bullied me." ~ horsetrek
"I'll admit, I was a bit of a bully in school and a lot of times I've wanted to reach out to people and apologize. The only thing stopping me is that maybe they've moved on from it and that I'm better off as just a past memory to them." ~ Zeldaaaaaaaaa
hey red...
Ed Sheeran Dancing GIF by Lip Sync BattleGiphy"Red hair. More specifically, being a male with long and red hair." ~ on-the-h
Why can't we just let people be people? Is it internalized hate or psychopathy? I don't even want to know.
Money
donald duck disney GIFGiphy"Used to get bullied for being "poor." I was a middle class kid in a middle class town that bordered a rich town where I went to school." ~ placeholderNull
Elementary
"In elementary school because I was filthy (I was severely neglected) and in my teenage years because I had crooked teeth and was told I was ugly and disgusting (the hygiene thing sorted itself out when I got older and managed to uphold routines on my own). I've been an adult for a long time now and shower daily, have a very neat apartment - and I still feel like I am dirty and filthy." ~ Actual_grass
The Reader
"Introverted and loving to read. Also just because I wasn't in the A group, but my younger sister and cousin were. Imagine being bullied by your own sister and it never stopped, not even at home." ~ Thin-Union-7712
"That sucks. I remember a bully of mine was a friend of my big sisters, the bully talked about me negatively to her once with a group of the bullies friends. It's not the same as what you've been through, but it was still horrible. I can't imagine what it felt like to be in your situation where you had it worse." ~ JaySkopezz
Newbie...
Bully Suffocating GIF by DrSquatchSoapCoGiphy"Being new at school." ~ decentralizedgear
"Hey, everyone, let's go and pick on the new kid school! I never understood this mentality. You see it a lot in movies and I just don't know why." ~ PapaTwoToes
Don't let the bullies get you down. It gets better. Just keep breathing...
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
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A1