I seriously don’t know what people are thinking if they consider bullying to be simply a physical or temporary act. Bullying goes much farther, much deeper, much longer than that. It doesn't end with one word, one slap, one sneer. Being bullied has serious consequences that affect a person emotionally, mentally, psychologically, for as long as a lifetime. It is an issue that not only affects an individual’s education, but also their health and self-esteem.
As someone who was once bullied, I know firsthand how it feels to be manipulated, to be walked all over like some unwanted rug. I know how it feels to be ignored and shut down, to be isolated and insulted. I know and I know what kind of traumatic experience it can be.
I know some of the consequences.
To keep a long story simple, I had a rough transition from elementary to middle school. I lost my footing, my comfort level, my old classmates. I was awkward, apprehensive, and very gullible. I was the perfect victim of bullying and self-abuse. I encountered some unpleasant people and I learned to deal with them. But my old insecurities never left me…they were simply heightened.
And here comes the real, frightening danger of bullying – when the hurt and frustration turns inward…when, eventually, the victim begins to believe himself or herself worthless – when the bully succeeds in making the victim hate him or herself. This is the unstated goal. This is what is causing so much pain and suffering.
That is what happened to me. Last year of middle school, I lost my senses. I started to believe that I was ugly, that I was awful, that I needed something radical to become better. I needed a perfect body, I needed impeccable grades, I needed to be popular, I needed to have it all. So I ran off in pursuit of all these, only to lose it in the end. I sprinted down a destructive path of disordered eating, of self-punishment and hate. Feeling out of control, I did what I could to control at least a small aspect of my life – what and how much I ate. But I winded up nowhere.
I can’t tell you for sure whether these problems were directly caused by bullying, or was simply a factor in the whole culmination of things that influenced me to head along this route. But I can tell you this: Bullying is ruining so many lives out there. It’s preventing people from reaching their full potential, the maximum peak of their dreams. It’s stunting a whole generation of kids trapped in their own fears. It’s limiting education. It’s stifling happiness and personality.
It’s something that’s worth fighting.
So interfere when you can.
Stop bullies. Stop bullying.