This is undoubtedly one of the most menacing issues in the teen world today. This is an issue that not many teenagers are vocal about and suppress whatever is happening to them in order to avoid further harm to their integrity and image.
The truth of the matter is that bullies think that they can make themselves feel better by pulling down others in ways that they find appealing. I mean come to think of it – why would a bully want to harass someone if he or she wasn’t threatened by that person? They probably feel that this person may be a threat to them or may cause them to lose their popularity or status and hence they become the threat instead and try to bring that person down just in order to save their name and self esteem. I mean, this is absolutely absurd and ridiculous!
Now what about the person being bullied? I can tell you for a fact that he or she will never be able to put this behind them. How do i know that? Well, i know because I myself have been a victim to the atrocious act of bullying. I have never really been vocal about this. Only my parents, my sister and a very few close friends of mine know about this. I was bullied in 6th grade after I changed schools. I endured this trauma in person & via social media – whatsapp.
As a kid I had no idea what bullying meant and had no clue whatsoever as to what was going on. I was bullied by a girl in my grade over a friend and a matter of popularity. She was under the impression that I was trying to steal her friends from her and be the popular kid, as a result of which she started getting jealous and ended up bulling me. I would get harassing text messages from her all day saying that i didn’t deserve to have friends and that i should never have existed. As an 11 year old child I took this very hard on myself and kept all of it to myself. I would cry through the nights, not talk to people and just stay indoors. It made me miserable. My bully wouldn’t stop and would Photoshop my pictures with hurtful captions and send them to me & other students in the class. There came a day where I could not cope anymore and I broke down.
That’s when my mom stepped in and I blurted it all out to her. She took care of it all but its an experience that I have never really gotten over. I still get sleepless nights thinking about this and about how greed and jealousy can turn a person into a cruel and malicious being.
Being a victim of bullying can really turn your life upside down. It can shake you to the core and make you miserable. I know forgetting the trauma is hard but as a survivor I can say – don’t let someone change who you are just because they couldn’t be like you. Don’t let someone take control over your life just because they don’t know how to control theirs. And if you’re the bully, STOP! Pulling someone else down may get you momentary content but the regret of doing it will be everlasting.
So, this is to everyone who has been bullied or is being bullied. Speak up, don’t cave!. Don’t think that having a voice may let down your self esteem. Talk to someone and let out all the bottled up feelings. there’s only so much each of us can take. And lastly, own your life, it’s yours and it should work on your principles not someone else’s.