Tag: School Bullying

School Bullying

Speaking Up About Bullying: Be Prepared for These 8 Responses

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‘Want to know about all the ways bullies respond when you begin speaking out about bullying? Here are all the truths you need to know about.

speaking up about bullying

Many targets of bullying have had their voices stolen from them. They’re intimidated into keeping silent while others abuse and take advantage of them.

However, you can’t bite your tongue forever. Therefore, in this post you will learn what to expect once you begin speaking up about bullying.

Once you learn all these possible responses your bullies will make, you will be better prepared to confidently address it.

This post is all about speaking up about bullying so that you’ll be prepared for your bullies’ reactions and to deal with it bravely and confidently.

Speaking up about bullying

Make your voice heard when the bullying first begins.

Why? Because it will eventually come spewing out. After a while, you will snap and the stress will be as lava pouring out of an erupting volcano.

For instance, you’re calm, and people see your calmness as a weakness. Bullies began to notice how laid back you are. Therefore, they presume that if they keep violating your boundaries, there will be no consequences.

The bullying always starts subtly at first- so subtly that you don’t even notice you’re being abused.

Over several months, the bullying slowly escalates until you finally snap and show your ugly side. However, when you respond to the bullies and their audience in kind, people only use your perfectly justified human reaction to demonize you. Therefore, they make it look as if you’re mentally unstable.

But, why do they do this?

It’s because you didn’t address the bullying when it first began. In other words, you didn’t stand up for yourself in the early stages.

As a result, your bullies and everyone else have grown comfortable with abusing you. Moreover, once people become comfortable with any routine, it’s almost impossible to stop them no matter how you defend yourself.

By then, the bullying has become iron clad and taken a life of it’s own. Therefore, it’s too late to do anything.

Again, this is why you must speak out when the bullying first begins. I can’t stress this enough.

Bullies will push you and push you. They will keep digging at you until you snap on them. Then once you bite back, everyone is suddenly offended, and deems you the bad guy!

Therefore, I want you to understand that this is all a part of the bully’s playbook. The more you know, the better you can predict their behavior, and the more you’ll be able to beat these monsters at their own game.

Speaking up about bullying:

Why victims stay silent

It’s because they can’t name what’s happening to them. Sure, they can feel it and see it. However, they can’t put an actual name on it because they don’t know the names of the tactics and how to describe what’s happening.

Being able to put a name on the abusive tactics takes a lot of research and study on abuse. Why? Because bullying is abuse and abuse is bullying.

Both bullying and abuse involve a power imbalance and repeated behavior. Therefore, they’re one and the same.

Why you Should learn to name each bullying tactic

The reason why we should know the names of the tactics is this. When there’s no label to put on it, it’s much harder to explain to others. Moreover, when you can’t name something, you tend to ramble.

And because you ramble about it, people are less likely to believe you when you speak out.

There’s nothing more frustrating than to know something is happening and not know how to name it. It’s as if you have an invisible gag over your mouth. Moreover, it feels like some higher force is trying to silence you and protect your bullies and abusers.

It’s the most frustrating and downright infuriating thing in the world!

Speaking up about bullying:

The Term, “Gaslighting.”

For example, let’s use the term “gaslighting.”

Even today, many people have never heard of gaslighting. Therefore, they don’t know the proper name of the emotional manipulations they may be facing.

In other words, they don’t know that it’s called, gaslighting. All they know is that what others are doing to them feels horrible. Moreover, it leaves them feeling that, somehow, they’re always in the wrong.

Therefore, they don’t know how to fix it because they don’t know what’s broken.

Yet, in the innermost parts of their soul, they know differently. Inside, they know they’re not always wrong. However, because they can’t put a name to it, these people can’t describe what was happening to them.

Therefore, it’s much harder for them to speak out without rambling and looking like they have a mental disorder.

Learning all you can about bullying is crucial.

With that said, it’s important that you read, study, and research everything you can about bullying. Moreover, find out and study the key terms for each bullying tactic.

In fact, learn all you can the names as well as the descriptions of each tactic. Why? Because, once you do, you will be able to effectively speak out about the bullying and abuse you suffer. Also, you will be able to more effectively counter the abuse.

 Realize that if you’re a target of bullying, your bullies will expect you not to open your mouth about the abuse. Moreover, even bystanders and authority will want you to stay silent. Why? Because, in most cases, they will automatically side with the bullies.

However, it still doesn’t mean you must be quiet about it. Remember that bullying thrives on silence and standing up for yourself is paramount.

Understand that speaking up shows strength and bravery. And know that you’re well within your rights to do so.

However, when you break your silence, you must be prepared for the following responses bullies and others will give.

Speaking Up about Bullying:

8 Responses to Expect from Your Bullies and Possibly, Everyone Else.

1. “You’re being too sensitive.”

See this response for what it is – a classic gaslighting statement.

Understand that when people respond this way, they’re only shifting the blame to you. Moreover, they’re trying to shame you into keeping quiet about it.

Those who respond this way may be friends or followers of the bullies. Or, maybe they have a personal interest in keeping you quiet, such as the reputation of the school or company.

It could be that these people see your bullies as “good for the school’s or company’s reputation.” Also, the bullies may be family members or close friends of these gaslighters.

However, don’t be ashamed to speak out. You must keep the pressure on even if the bullying gets worse. This is how you set boundaries.

Understand that things usually get worse before they get better but they will get better.

2. “Just Ignore Them.”

This is another classic but worn out response. However, ignoring them never works.

Realize that bullies will only become angry at being ignored and escalate the bullying. Also, they may mistake your ignoring them for fear.

And if a bully gets in your face, how do you ignore that? It’s impossible. You might think that the best way to handle it is to put your hand up and walk around the bully.

 This isn’t necessarily a bad response. However, how do you know the bully won’t come after you and attack you from behind once you’ve walked past them?

When people tell you to ignore the bully, you must understand what they’re really trying to say. And what they really mean is one or more of three things:

They either don’t want to hear about it, don’t want to deal with it, or don’t have any answers themselves.

Therefore, keep speaking out. It’s how you set boundaries and setting boundaries is crucial in bullying situations.

3. Speaking Up about Bullying:

“Toughen up.”

Again. The people who could help you don’t want to get involved. So they put it all on you. And really, they’re not wrong. Protecting yourself against bullying IS your responsibility because chances are, no one will help you.

However, by telling you to toughen up, they’re shifting the blame onto you. Also, they don’t stop to think that, when they tell anyone to toughen up, they’d better be prepared to break up a fight.

Why? Because that’s your green light to tell the bully to shove it up his you-know-where or haul off and knock the idiot’s block off.

Then when they try to reprimand you for defending yourself, you can then use it as leverage. You can say, “Well? You told me to toughen up, so I did!

Therefore, you should do that!

Or, you can respond by saying, “No. It’s not about toughing up. It’s about asserting my right to be treated with decency and I don’t have to take that mess.” And when you say it, say it with conviction.

4. “Get over it.”

People do this to invalidate your experiences with bullying and your thoughts and feelings about it. Therefore, you should respond by saying, “No. You need to get over your denial that bullying happens here.”

Or, if it’s one of your bullies who tells you this, you can respond by saying something to the tune of, “No, you need to get over your assholery and your need for control! I’m not taking this crap anymore!”

5. Speaking Up About Bullying:

“Don’t be a crybaby.”

Bullies and their flying monkeys give this response to shame you into silence. Don’t let them do that. Tell the bully that they’re the crybaby because they’re afraid of being exposed.

Or, you can tell them that if they keep it up, you’re likely to make a crybaby out of them.

Whatever you do, don’t let it slide. Don’t react, but do respond.

6. “Stop whining.”

Again, this is another attempt to shame you into shutting your mouth. Therefore, come up with a response to counter this.

7. “Don’t be a tattletale.”

This is, yet, another attempt to shame you. Therefore, respond accordingly.

8. “Maybe you should just stay out of their way.”

Understand this. You don’t have to tip-toe around anyone. Neither must you bite your tongue to appease bullies.  And …you shouldn’t! Therefore, again, respond accordingly. Never take the blame for someone else’s bad behavior! Ever!

Speaking Up About Bullying:

In conclusion:

All of the above, so-called nuggets of advice are only meant to shame and silence you. Bullying is no different from any other form of abuse. It thrives on secrecy.

Therefore, if you don’t speak out about it, the bullying and abuse will only continue and escalate.

I realize that getting these kinds of responses makes you feel even worse. Moreover, there’s a temptation to clam up and burrow back into your hole. But don’t!

You must refuse to keep quiet about it!

So, keep speaking out about it. When people give you any of the above responses, that’s when you should only double down. Therefore, dig your heels in and speak louder! Why? Because only when a problem is addressed does it have the potential to be solved.

Keep speaking about it and setting boundaries!

It may get worse before it gets better. However, things will improve in the long run, it you continue to speak against the bullying.

And no matter the outcome, you’ll feel so much better about yourself knowing you took a stand.

This post was all about speaking up about bullying, the gaslighting you should expect, and how to stand up to it.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Defending Yourself from Bullies: 11 Best Defenses

2. Setting Boundaries: 3 Powerful Practices to Hold Your Ground

3. Fear of Setting Boundaries: 5 Reasons You Don’t Stand Up to Bullies

4. Benefits of Setting Boundaries

5. How to Defend Yourself from Bullies: 5 Powerful Strategies

what do bullies fear most at work

What Do Bullies Fear Most? 10 Things that Terrify Bullies

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‘What do bullies fear most,” you may wonder. You may even wonder if they have any fear at all. But, trust me, they are the biggest cowards of all. Here’s everything that frightens them the most so you can use it to your advantage.

what do bullies fear most

Bullies often put on an air of invincibility. They display false bravado and arrogance. However, we all know they’re the biggest cowards in the world!

In this post you will have all the answers to the question, “what do bullies fear most?”. This will prompt you to find ways to use it to your advantage.

Once you learn all about this game-changing information, you will be better able to counter bullying and bully-proof yourself.

Once you read this post, you’ll no longer wonder, “What do bullies fear most?”. These answers will be the arsenal you need to protect yourself against the onslaught of bullying.

What do Bullies Fear Most?

‘Ready? Let’s get right into it!

1. Being Exposed

Bullies get by only on appearances. The fronts they put up are only illusions and mirages. Moreover, without the facades they work so hard to maintain, they have no leg to stand on.

Therefore, the constant threat of exposure weighs heavily on them. Understand that the lives of bullies are filled with cracks that just might expose who they really are.

Think of these cracks as smoldering hot spots that threaten to blaze again. Bullies are forever running around pouring buckets of water on these hots pots.

They have to bust ass to make sure these hot spots don’t ignite.

Also, they must continuously struggle to maintain control of everyone and everything, and that’s not easy.

Bullies know that once their real personality seeps through, people will lose respect for them and they’ll lose power. And if they lose power, their mistreatment of others will come back to bite them in the ass… hard!

2. Looking Weak

Anytime you defend yourself, you become a threat to the bullies’ power. Why? Because you automatically put them in positions of weakness. This goes double if you confront them in public.

In other words, stand up to them in front of an audience, then you really make them look like punks. As a result, some bullies will retaliate to reinforce their dominance over you.

But wait, there’s another point here. When you make your bullies look weak by standing up to them, you just might start a new trend! You may embolden others others to stand up to the bullies too.

Ouch! Just the mere thought of this is painful to bullies!

Courage has a way of spreading and, once it spreads, the bully loses power. Bullies know this. Therefore, they double down by retaliating to re-enforce power.

3. What Do Bullies Fear Most?

Taking Risks

Bullies are highly insecure. Therefore, you’ll never see them take risks. They’re too cowardly.

Realize that bullies put up facades and bullshit their way through life. Again, they get by on appearances. That’s it!

Instead of taking risks and working hard to get ahead, they lie, cheat, steal, connive and scheme to do it.

4. Getting their Asses Kicked

This applies mostly to physical bullies who believe in using their fists to get what they want. Moreover, these types of bullies often believe that kicking ass is what makes a person tough and gets them respect and admiration.

Therefore, they fear running up on someone who’s a little tougher than them and getting their butts handed to them. Especially in front of people!

It’s not so much that they fear the physical pain of a good ass-whipping. It’s the humiliation and the blow to their ego that they fear most.

Moreover, they fear looking like weak little wusses. They also fear that once someone gives them a good beat down, it just may shatter their tough guy reputations and set their own asses up to be bullied.

5. What do Bullies Fear Most?

Being humiliated in public

None of us want humiliation. However, to bullies, being humiliated is the end of the world. Understand that bullies like to be A-1 best… at everything!

Moreover, they crave to be the center of attention and for all humans to worship the ground they walk on. If you humiliate them somehow, it threatens their god-like status and shatters their facade of invincibility.

They know that humiliation just might be the final nail in the coffin to their image of perfection. As a result, it may throw them of their pedestals in the eyes of everyone else.

Gasp!

And don’t think they won’t take revenge on you if you ever cause them to look bad.

6. Losing Their High Social Status

This goes especially for bullies who are popular. Their social capital is their power. Therefore, if they lose that, their power goes with it!

And they know it!

7. Losing Control over you

Bullies fear losing power over you. Why do you think they double down on their attacks when you finally begin standing up to them?

It’s because, anytime you defend yourself, your bullies feel that they’re losing the power battle. Or, they’re about to lose.

Therefore, the only way to discourage you from doing that again is to retaliate with greater force. Why? Again, because if you stand your ground and begin refusing their attempts to walk on you, you just might inspire others to do the same.

As a result, you might cause them to lose  all respect, status, and authority (power).

8. What Do Bullies Fear Most?

Looking foolish

Bullies have big egos. Therefore, they don’t only want to look tough or attractive, they also want to look smart. Again, bullies want to be the best at everything, or, at least, look like they are.

If you make a bully look like an idiot, whether it’s through a good response to their attacks or a dirty trick to embarrass them, they will retaliate with the fury of Satan.

Again, the bully’s facade is that of perfection. And if you shatter their false image, look out!

9. Being Alone

Bullies are like wolves. They usually run in packs.

Strength does come in numbers. Therefore, bullies are notorious for having an entourage behind them when they attack their victims.

A group of bullies always has a ringleader, or main bully. The ringleader keeps the other group members on standby not only to intimidate you but for protection in case you stand up to them.

You must realize that bullies are cowards. Therefore, they will never have the sack to fight alone.

Moreover, social science has proved that comradeship is born when two or more people can find something (or someone)they dislike. In other words, a group must have a common enemy they can all share a passionate hatred for.

And if members of the group do not feel they can get solidarity any other way, they will find or create an enemy they can all united against.

Therefore, they may single you out and harass you for purposes of group unity. If it’s the only way they can forge camaraderie among the other bullies in the group, than why not?

Put another way, they use you as a vehicle for interaction, ingratiation, and bonding.

Again, uniting against an enemy ensures group solidarity. Each member takes turns bullying you because they know that the rest of the pack expects them to.

Therefore they commit the harassment to ‘fit in’ and get rewards of group unity at your expense. Today, we call this “pack mentality” or “herd mentality.”

And sadly, most people will do anything, right or wrong, to follow the rest of the herd.

10. What Do Bullies Fear Most?

That you’ll outshine them

Understand that bullies are highly jealous people with fragile egos. Moreover, they feel threatened by anyone who outshines them in any way.

Therefore, any success you achieve will threaten their power. Moreover, it would crush their egos. You must realize that bullies can’t handle any success of someone they deem inferior to them.

They’ll tune out anyone who brags on you for a success or accomplishment well done. They’ll downplay your achievements.

Why? Because, again, your success is a huge threat to their power. Your achievements put cracks in their superiority. They’ll do anything to block out anyone who gives you praise.

However, this is what bullies do. They put up mental walls to block any threatening messages and info. And they do this to keep anything from penetrating their grandiose sense of self-importance.

Moreover, they support those walls by hurling ugly names and insults at you.

Bullies won’t tolerate being overshadowed by a little peon like you. No. Never! So, if you ever score a huge win, expect your bullies to punish you for daring to upstage them.

Workplace bullies are notorious for bullying those who outshine them at work.

How you use your bullies’ fears to your advantage is to do the things they fear most. Speak out. Call them out on their behavior. Stand up to them and do it in public if you must. Find ways to weaponize your bullies’ worst fears!

This post gives you all the answers to the question, “What do Bullies Fear Most?” These answers allow you to have knowledge of the bully’s weaknesses so that you can weaponize them and use them to your advantage.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Jealousy and Bullying: 7 Proven Signs Your Bullies are Jealous

2. Things School Bullies Try to Hide: 13 Things They’re Ashamed Of

3. Cliques and Bullying: 3 Dirty Secrets Cliques Try to Hide

4. Speaking Out Against Bullying: 5 Ways Bullies React When You Speak Up

why bullying goes unpunished at work

Why Bullying Goes Unpunished: 7 Reasons to Stand Up for Yourself

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‘Want to know why bullying goes unpunished? Also, do you want to know why you should stand up for yourself? Here’s everything on this subject you need to know about.

why bullying goes unpunished

It’s not only about punishing bullies. It’s more about teaching victims to stand up for themselves. Granted, yes, we must expose bullies and make them take responsibility. That, we can all agree on.

Bullies may be punished and severely so. However, there’s no guarantee they’ll will learn from it and leave you alone. In fact, it almost never works. Why? Because in most situations, when a bully is caught and held responsible, it only further angers the bully.

Moreover, it makes them that much more vindictive and determined to retaliate against you later.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn why bullying goes unpunished. Also, you will learn why it’s up to you to stand up to them and take back your power.

Once you learn all about this important information, you will be prompted to begin defending yourself and take your life back.

This post is about why bullying goes unpunished and why you should stand up to them and take care of yourself.

Why Bullying Goes Unpunished

All too often, schools and workplaces ignore reports of bullying and won’t protect you. This happens more than we know.

In other words, people in power ignore you when you report that you’re being bullied. Moreover, they may re-victimize you be trivializing your experiences or worse, blame you for the bullying.

They may ask you what you did to make the bullies act out. This is the worst thing authority members do.

Therefore, you must realize that most workplaces and schools only sweep bullying under the rug. It happens all the time. Therefore, if people bully you, chances are slim to none that others will help you.

Here’s the sad truth about people, in general. If it isn’t happening to them or someone they care about, in most cases, they don’t care. It’s just the cold, hard truth we need to accept.

Here’s why most managers and school officials won’t punish bullying. And why it’s up to you to defend yourself.

1. The Bullies are in positions of power.

In other words, the bully could be a teacher, principal, supervisor, manager, or even law enforcement. If the bully is a kid in school, they may have a parent or family member in a position of power.

Anytime the bully is in a powerful place, it often takes an act of congress to hold them responsible for any damages.

Therefore, it’s up to you to stand up to them. And how you stand up to bullies in power is to set boundaries. Also, document every bullying incidence in detail.

Therefore, you must defend yourself even against bullies who are in power. It’s easier said than done, yes. However, it’s about self-preservation and you have a right to defend yourself when someone crosses your boundaries.

2. Why Bullying Goes Unpunished:

Staff is lazy.

Investigations take work. Therefore, most school officials or HR employees don’t want to take the extra effort.

They may take the easy way out by denying that bullying happens in their school or company. Moreover, they may accuse you of perpetuating the bullying.

If it’s a case of school bullying and your parents get involved, the school may label your parent as “that parent.” However, you must understand that this is a cop-out.

Again,  defend yourself. Continue to set boundaries. And always document every incidence of bullying.

3. School Staff may be afraid the bullies’ parents will retaliate.

Most bullies learn bullying behavior at home. Many bullies learn by watching their parents bully other adults. Understand that many of these parents are self-entitled. Many hold high positions and think this gives them carte blanche to bully other people.

And they will bully teachers and school staff if they have the audacity to hold their little darlings accountable for bad behavior.

Moreover, bullies may also know powerful political connections in town. They may also be a member of the school board. Therefore,  they have made the school staff fully aware that disciplining “the wrong kids” could get them booted out of their jobs and entire careers.

Again, self-preservation. Write everything down! Document! And if your bullies get physical, put up your dukes and defend yourself!

4. Why Bullying Goes Unpunished:

People are afraid for the company’s or school’s reputation.

Schools are notorious for trying to hide cases of bullying. Why? Because they prioritize their reputation over the well being of the children and teens.

Companies are the same way. They usually ignore you, while keeping the bully informed that you’ve ratted on them. Therefore, again, if you report that people are bullying you, don’t expect them to help you.

Most institutions know good and well when someone is bullied. However, they may consider them a threat. In worse cases, they may ostracize or try to silence the person.

Moreover, those who are bullied have less power then others. So, it’s much easier for them to ignore the bullying and pretend that there isn’t a problem.

This is why it’s so important to document and do your own investigation. Never expect anyone else to do the investigation for you.

5. They either don’t like you or they hate you.

Sadly, many people have negative attitudes about the bullied and abused. Although these are people who are in positions to help you, they don’t. Instead, they allow their personal feelings override their humanity.

Moreover, bullies are notorious for spreading many lies and ugly rumors about you. Bullying and  defamation go hand in hand. And once they destroy your reputation, your chances of getting help drop significantly.

Why? Because those in power hear the lies and rumors as well. Therefore, they aren’t beyond making judgements based on what they’ve heard. Also, they may be afraid that helping you would cause them to lose their high positions.

Additionally, those in power, may even join in on the bullying. You may be one of the most goodhearted people around. But in most cases of bullying, the rumors and lies  supersede the truth about you.

Therefore, in the minds of everyone around you, you’re “trouble.”

Understand that lies and rumors are powerful. They’re so powerful that they keep you locked in a prison of scrutiny and suspicion.

Moreover, bullying makes you a nervous wreck. Therefore, you cannot be your true, awesome self due to the stress bullying causes.

I can’t stress this enough. Defend yourself. Do your own investigation. Document everything so that you’ll have a record of patterns of bullying.

6. Why Bullying Goes Unpunished:

they didn’t like the way you responded or reacted to the bullying you suffered.

In other words,  because of chronic bullying, you may have reacted out of self-defense and exhaustion. You were so tired because bullies harassed you for so long that you really couldn’t help but to react.

Your bullies may have slyly used your reaction as proof that you have a mental imbalance. Therefore, other may think the worst of you.

Moreover, they may also think that because everyone else hates you, there must be some reason that justifies it. They may say, “Well, if you aren’t provoking it somehow, then why do so many people hate you?

Therefore, they believe you must somehow deserve what is happening to you.

Consequently, when someone in power does not like you, they may either refuse to help you. In worst cases, they may secretly take pleasure in seeing you suffer.

Therefore, realize that those in authority are just as capable as the bullies of hating and hurting those they deem undesirable. In fact, because of the powerful positions they hold, they’re more capable of it.

Again, document everything! Keep a personal record of everything that happens just in case you have a tribunal or take it to court.

7. The bullies are High Performers.

They may be athletes, cheerleaders and high academic achievers. Moreover, they may be candidates for college and schools strive to crank out college-bound students.

Understand that these kids make the school look good. Star athletes on sports teams win games and help the school team reach the playoffs. This only further bolsters the school’s image. The same thing goes for cheerleaders.

They enter regional and state cheer competitions and if they win, the schools’ reputation goes up. Therefore, the cheerleaders appeal to the self-interest of the school and school district.

It’s the same with companies. If workplace bullies excel in job-performance, they make the company lots of money. Therefore, it will be difficult to report them and convince the higher-ups to hold them accountable.

If anything, they’ll only blame you and label you the troublemaker. Why? Because, in reporting their best students or employees, you’re putting the entire school or company at risk of losing out.

This is how they’ll look at it. Therefore, document!

Why Bullying Goes Unpunished:

What you can do if you’re the victim of bullying

When authority does nothing about bullying, it’s up to you to protect yourself.

Therefore, document each incidence of bullying when you get home. Moreover, do it while the incidents are still fresh in your mind.

I can’t stress this enough. Keep your documents at home. Never take them to work or school. Bullies are nosy and they will rummage through your stuff when your back is turned. The last thing you want is for them to find your documentation.

Also, you can wear a hidden body camera or hide an audio recording device on you. However, be sure you know what the laws in your state allow before you do this.

If you live in a one-party consent state, cameras and recording devices are legal and you can use them. On the other hand, if you live in a two-party consent state, you must have the permission of the people you record before you can use them.

And you know that bullies will never allow you to record them. This goes without saying. Moreover, if you do record them and the laws in your area don’t allow it, your bullies will pounce on the opportunity to sue you.

Therefore, it’s best that you only document the bullying. However, there’s another way you can gather proof. And that is to screenshot and save any incendiary messages and comments your bullies may leave on your social media pages.

Moreover, save any bullying emails, and test messages.

The more proof of bullying you collect, the stronger case you’ll have if you must take it to the school board, company tribunal, or to court.

In Conclusion:

Too many people have been conditioned to believe that self-defense is wrong. It isn’t. It’s essential for self-preservation and everyone has a right to it.

Therefore, we must stop depending on school staff, company managers and politicians to come rescue us when bullies run amuck. You must realize that people in power won’t help you. Why? Because, unfortunately, bullies run much of the world.

So, again, you must stop depending on a rescuer because no one is coming to save you. You must save yourself. You must learn to protect yourself against bullies. At the end of the day, your safety and your dignity are your responsibility, no one else’s.

You have a right to defend yourself. You have a right to take care of yourself. So, begin doing it today!

This post was all about why bullying goes unpunished so that you can start protecting yourself against bullying and take responsibility for your own safety and well-being! You can do it! I believe in you!

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Why do Schools Ignore Bullying? 7 Reasons Schools Do Nothing

2. Defending Yourself from Bullies: 11 Best Defenses

3. How to Defend Yourself from Bullies: 5 Powerful Strategies

4. Physical Bullying: Should You Hit Back?

5. Setting Boundaries: 3 Powerful Practices to Hold Your Ground

inside the mind of a bully at work

Inside the Mind of a Bully

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‘Want to take a peek inside the mind of a bully? Here’s exactly how they think when it comes to their targets and victims and how you can use it to protect yourself from them.

inside the mind of a bully

If you’re a target of a bully or a group of bullies, you must understand that they perceive you as their enemy. Moreover, this goes even if you haven’t done nothing to them. Because, chances are, you haven’t. In fact, you may pose no threat to them whatsoever.

However, the point is that, in their minds, you are a hated enemy and they refuse to see you as anything but.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn what goes on inside the mind of a bully and how you can use it to defend yourself from them.

Once you learn all about this very important information, you will know more of what to expect from bullies and how you can use it to your advantage and stay a few steps ahead of them.

This post is all about what you’re likely to find inside the mind of a bully and how you can use it for self-preservation.

Inside the mind of a bully

Again, you are the enemy. Period. Moreover, even as the bully is ritually torturing you, even if you’ve done nothing to deserve it, that bully still see you as the adversary.

Therefore, they think you should just take the abuse. And once you speak out about the bullying, a bully’s enmity will only increase exponentially.

Once bullies get a fix on you, you are all they can focus on because they feel threatened. You see, hate creates this kind of obsession in any bully. And it’s difficult for them to get rid of.

Bullies and abusers only see from their own perspective. Moreover, their perspective has you as an opponent for them to punish. You’re a threat they must contain, even eliminate.

A bully or a group of bullies isn’t concerned with the fact that their anger and hatred are irrational. They don’t think that they’re destroying a fellow human being much like themselves. Moreover, a bully doesn’t think of you as a human being with thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

You must realize that bullies are oblivious to the fact that the impetus of their violence comes from the primal part of their brains.

Why? Because, only one things matters to a bully. And what matter is that, right or wrong, you are the enemy. In other words, they view you as evil and they want revenge.

Therefore, your bullies have no inhibitions of destroying you because they think they’re the good guys. In that, they think they’re doing the right thing by destroying you.

It’s human nature. Evil enemies must be annihilated.

Inside the Mind of a Bully:

In their minds, you owe them respect

And when you don’t show the bully the respect they feel they’re entitled to, they must punish you. Moreover, if you don’t show it in the way bullies think you should, they also become enraged and seek to destroy you.

The power-dynamic between you and your bully is always zero-sum. They feel you deserve nothing but hostility and abuse. However, in contrast, you owe them respect.

In other words, they believe you should respect them as they abuse you.

From the bully’s perspective, you must atone for their flaws, shortcomings, and evil by lying down and “letting” them abuse you.

Moreover, bullies expect you to take it with a smile and a yes sir or ma’am, even ask for seconds. They also think you should be thankful that they don’t make things worse on you.

This is the mentality of bullies.

The Possibility of you standing up to them threatens them.

Why? Because, if you stand up to your bullies, there’s a risk that everyone who sees you will question their power! With bullies, it’s not about right or wrong. It’s about hierarchy.

“We’re in charge here! You’re not and you should shut your mouth and do what we want!”

In other words, you’re lower on the social hierarchy. Therefore, if you grow balls and challenge them by fighting back, you’ll likely humiliate them in front of everyone and make them look like punks!

You bullies can’t have that. Therefore, the constant torment they inflict on you isn’t only punishment. It’s the constant reinforcement of power. In other words, it’s to keep you from even thinking about defending yourself.

When you do clap back at your bullies, they’ll do one of either two things.

They’ll get the message that you’re no longer a victim, leave you alone, and go find another victim. Or, they’ll only double down on their abuse. Many bullies only intensify the abuse until they wear themselves out and decide you aren’t worth the trouble.

Or, they may wear you down. If they wear you down, the bullying will only get worse.

Therefore, you must continue standing your ground.

Inside the mind of a bully:

Most bullies are relentless.

Once you begin standing up to a bully or group of bullies, you must be consistent with it. Why? Because most bullies are relentless. In other words, you cannot stand up to them only one time and expect them to leave you alone.

Taking a stand only one time doesn’t win their respect. In many cases, it makes your bully angrier and the bullying gets worse before it gets better.

Again, it’s not about right or wrong. And it isn’t about fairness. Bullies view fairness as sappy fairy tales for babies. It’s about hierarchy and, by standing up to them, you just disrupted the social order.

Therefore, the bullies must intensify the bullying. They must teach you a lesson. Moreover, they must fight even harder to subdue you to keep their place in the social hierarchy.

‘You see? In their minds, you’ve forgotten who you are. You’ve gotten too big for your britches and too smart for your own good. Moreover, you’ve forgotten your place and you don’t know when to leave well enough alone.

However, what this really translates too is that you’ve become a threat to your bullies’ positions on the social totem pole. Therefore, they must contain the threat – you!

This is not only to teach you a lesson. It’s also to make an example out of you. In other words, it’s to let everyone else in the environment know that if they try anything like you did, or if they help you in any way, they’ll be next.

Realize that bullies have a “Divine Right of Kings” mentality. Therefore, standing up to them one time won’t work. Your bullies will only bully you harder, at first, to get you to submit.

Do bullies know they’re Bullies?

In most cases, YES!

Moreover, they’re damn proud of it. Why? Because, unfortunately, most people believe it’s cool to be cruel. You must accept this fact because, it’s just the truth of the messed-up world we live in.

The sad part is that the higher someone climbs, the more you see of their ass. In other words, the higher up the social hierarchy most people rise, the more brutal they are.

Why? Because the popularity and social capital serve to insulate them from accountability. Moreover, it gives them other perks like power, prestige, and influence. Therefore, they also have plenty of other powerful connections. This gives them liberties and favor that no one has access to.

Power like that is just too delicious to give up. Moreover, outside of their positions in the social arena, your bullies have nothing!

Therefore, they grow more arrogant and brazen with their bullying and abuse. However, if they ever lose face and fall to the bottom of the social hierarchy, the landing will be exponentially more brutal.

Why? Because of how they treated others when they were on top. Bullies know that if that ever happens, the humiliation will be unbearable and others will likely eat them alive!

In other words, the bullies will become targets themselves and oooh, the shame! Therefore, your bullies become desperate and will fight even harder to keep their social status!

Again, this is not the time to back down! Keep standing your ground!

Inside the mind of a Bully:

What to expect

Here’s what you can expect your bullies to try after you defend yourself and defeat them for the first time.

1. They’ll threaten the other people in the environment.

In other words, your bullies will let everyone else know that they can expect to be bullied too if they dare get out of their places.

2. Pit your friends against you.

If your bully can turn your friends against you, all the better. They may do this by accusing them of being in on your rebellion with you. Moreover they may defame each of your friends and try to turn others against them as well.

Understand that this is how your bullies use peer pressure to get your friends to turn on you. And once they do, your friends might blame you for dragging them into you and causing them to become targets.

Also, your bullies will try to make it impossible for you to make new friends.

However, understand that bullies do this strictly to isolate you and cut you off from any support. Therefore, keep standing up for yourself no matter what. And cut off any friends who turn on you because they were never your friends to begin with.

Do you really want a bunch of cowards as friends? I sure wouldn’t!

3. Inside the Mind of a Bully:

Send henchmen to physically harm you.

If they aren’t physical bullies, or, if they are and you beat the crap out of them in self-defense, your bullies will likely send others to do their violence for them. Moreover, most seasoned bullies are too smart to do something so obvious.

They’d rather not get their hands dirty. Therefore, instead of getting blood on their hands, they send a lackey after you. In fact, when the henchman catches up with you, your bullies won’t even be there.

Instead, they offer the roughneck the right incentives and send him. However, this happens only in extreme cases.

Even then, you must continue to stand up for yourself. But in cases like this, it’s better to get the police involved. But if you have to fight, do it like your life depends on it. Don’t back down.

Remember, you should never back down because, once you do, the bullying will only continue to escalate.

when and where does it stop?

It doesn’t. Bullying only gets worse until somebody dies or leaves the environment.

Therefore, if you’re a target of a bully, understand this. It doesn’t matter what the bully thinks. Neither the bully nor anyone else has a right to violate your boundaries, physical nor psychological.

I want you to know that you have a right to learn, work, or live in a safe environment. Moreover, you have a right to be in a nourishing environment that allows you to flourish. And you owe respect to no one who hasn’t earned it.

Bullies or anyone else who deliberately sets out to hurt you does not deserve anything from you. Understand that you must value yourself enough to put yourself first.

If someone is abusing you, you have every right to take care of yourself. You have not only a right but an obligation to yourself to walk away from the person.

If you can’t walk away- if the bully won’t let you walk away, then you have a right to defend yourself. Realize that you are valuable, and you matter just as much as the next person.

And everyone has flaws, not only you. If anyone bullies you, then they have no business coming anywhere near you. Always remember that.

This post was all about what’s inside the mind of a bully so that you can know what to expect and use it to your advantage.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. A Bully’s Perspective: What Your Bullies Want to Say to You 

2. The 4 Stages of Bullying

3. Why People Bully: 11 Benefits Bullies Reap at Your Expense

4. Why do Bullies Bully? 7 Reasons They Won’t Leave You Alone

how to shut down a bully at school

How to Shut Down a Bully: 11 Comebacks that Stop Them Cold

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‘Want to know how to shut down a bully? Here are all the powerful comebacks you need to know about.

how to shut down a bully

Bullies are forever coming up with ways to humiliate and torment you. This is why you must learn cognitive re-framing and protect your precious self-esteem from being battered.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn how to shut down a bully with these powerful (and humiliating) comebacks.

Once you learn all these game-changing counter-jabs, you will be able to better defend your confidence, you self-esteem, and your overall mental health from these confidence thieves. Moreover, you’ll make them think twice before they ever come for you again.

This post is all about how to shut down a bully so that you can counter anything they throw at you and protect your most valuable asset… your mental health.

How to Shut Down a Bully

In order to shut down bullying when it happens to you, you must first re-frame everything they throw at you. This is the first step in shutting down bullies.

Bullies will always have something negative to say. Therefore, stop thinking there’s something wrong with you. Maybe there’s something right with you.

Therefore, before we get to the comebacks, let’s first talk about using cognitive re-framing.

So, what is cognitive re-framing?

According to the VeryWellMind blog, it is “a technique use to shift your mindset so you’re able to look at a situation, person, or relationship from a slightly different perspective.”

There are several ways you can look at different types of bullying attacks. For example, lets talk about gossip, rumors, and trash talk.

6 Ways to look at it when Bullies Trash-Talk You

Here’s how you use cognitive re-framing:

1. When people talk about you, good or bad, at least you know you aren’t boring.

And most people would rather be “bad” than boring.

Moreover, when people discuss you, it usually means that your life is a lot more interesting than theirs is. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be getting so many mentions, good or bad.

Think of it like this. You must be doing something right if people are mentioning you all the time. Therefore, realize that when they talk about you, they make you relevant.

2. How to Shut Down A Bully:

When people talk smack about you, it only means you still consume their minds.

So, who’s really in control here? You are. Let’s explain a little more.

People only talk about things, events and people that interest them. Moreover, they will only talk about any of the three that they consider relevant.

Therefore, as mentioned earlier, they make you relevant and you interest them. It doesn’t matter whether you illicit good or bad feelings in them. What matters is that you make an impact on them.

That, in itself, is power! Especially if you don’t care enough about them to even mention them at all. Do you see where I’m going with this?

The point is that they may hate you but you could care less about them. Again, that’s such sweet power!

3. You have a lot of power if you can stir resentment or hate in someone without trying To or meaning to.

It only goes to show that the dummy doing the talking can easily be controlled with little effort. Moreover, you’re interesting enough for them to discuss but they’re not interesting enough for you to talk about.

Therefore, just go on about your day and let them talk. Because people like those aren’t worth your time.

4. How to Shut Down a Bully:

They must really admire you and want to be like you.

Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be an afterthought to them. So, why should you give a damn. Again, let them talk.

5. It says more about them than it does about you.

It says if that they don’t have lives of their own. Again, they take an interest in yours, which means that your life must be more interesting than theirs!

You’re the winner here!

6. People who consistently talk bad about you really have an obsession with you.

Like the old saying goes, “He who angers you controls you.”

So, why not feel good about it and, even better, take advantage of it by letting them talk? Why? Because some things don’t need a defense. This goes especially if the bullies are known for being gossips and troublemakers.

Therefore, just sit back, smile, and be quietly amused by the pettiness they display. Be your sweet self, and others will see through the gossip too.

Once you finally wise up and take this approach, you’ll be surprised at the results! Moreover, your only regret will be that you didn’t realize this earlier.

Attitude is what it’s all about. With the right attitude, you can beat your bullies without ever lifting a finger!

And now, for the comebacks you’ve been waiting for!

How to Shut Down a Bully:

11 Comebacks you can use to Shut Them Up and Shut them Down.

1. “The truth hurts sometimes.”

This phrase is brilliant because it does two things:

It infuriates bullies who try to gaslight you. Why? Because it acts as a proverbial boomerang and reverses the sting back onto them.

Moreover, it exposes your bully’s inability to handle the truth. This comeback can only work in your favor because your bullies’ anger and indignation will only further give them away.

Why? Because bullies don’t get emotional unless they’re afraid they’re losing control. And once they fear losing control, they begin feeling desperate. Always remember that.

2. “I Don’t See It That Way.”

This is a good comeback because you’re making it clear to the bully that you refuse to buy their bullshit.

Keep in mind that bullies want to make you doubt your own perceptions. In other words, they want you to think, “well, maybe he’s right. Maybe I did have it coming.”

No you did not! Remember that you’re not responsible for anyone’s behavior but yours. Your bullies’ behavior is a direct result of their choices, not yours.

3. How to Shut Down a Bully:

“Whatever.”

This little one-word response is so potent and powerful. It’s short and sweet, and it’s the perfect blow-off to any bully.

Why? Because it sends the message that you refuse to engage with them. Also, through that response alone, you communicate to your bullies that they’re a waste of your time. And really, they are!

Therefore, you end up taking the wind right out of their sails. Why? Because, your bullies are excepting a big reaction from you and when you blow them off with a “whatever,” you stun them.

Any time you calmly use this comeback, you send the message to bullies that they don’t hurt nor intimidate you, they only bore you. Ouch!

It’s very difficult to counter a response of, “Whatever.”

Moreover, another reason this little beauty of a response infuriates bullies so much is that there’s no way to counter it. It stops them dead in their tracks and leaves them looking like fools.

Bullies may verbally retaliate with a “whatever” of their own. However, it will only make them look like they’re not very creative. Additionally, the bully will also look childish and corny.

Therefore, the trick with this little one-worded bomb is to draw first blood. In other words, he who says it first automatically wins the day!

Do it this way and you look calm, cool, and collected while making your bullies look defeated. Most importantly, you preserve your own sanity by refusing to argue or to agree with their drivel.

4. I’m sorry you feel that way.”

This really ticks off bullies because, just like the first comeback, it turns the tables on them. You send the unspoken message that you refuse to let their attacks shake you.

Using this sarcastic comeback isn’t an apology. It’s a dig. It shows the bully that you could care less about their feelings.

Also, it communicates to them that nothing they have to say is worth the effort you must put in to argue. Again, this is how you respond to a bully. They get no respect because they don’t give any.

5. How to Shut Down a Bully:

“that’s your opinion, not mine.”

This is a great comeback because it lets the bully know that their opinions don’t change yours. Moreover, it shows you could care less about what they think of you or what they have to say.

Bullies will seethe when you use this gem of a comeback. And you’ll come out feeling strong. I guarantee it!

6. “You have your reality and I have mine.”

Bullies are notorious for trying to undermine your reality and call your perception into question. Anytime you give your bullies this response, you tackle the problem up front.

Moreover, they get the message that you’re not one to be swayed from your perception. In other words, they’ll know instantly that you’re immune to any manipulative mind games they try to play.

And this is what you want so they’ll leave you alone and go find some other sucker to jerk around

7. How to Shut Down a Bully:

“How?” “When?” “Where?” or “Like What?”

What you are doing here is asking for details. Here, you come back at the bully with questions and they will absolutely hate that.

Bullies always avoid details. Why? Because when you ask questions, you change the focus from opinions and emotions to hard facts.

In other words, you force them to come up with hard evidence to back up their claim or argument. Most bullies won’t be able to counter this because they only speak from emotions rather than facts.

Ask a bully questions referring to context and evidence. Then, laugh as you watch them stutter and stammer, trying to come up with an intelligent-sounding answer.

Also, the bully may respond with things like, “Just forget it!” and storm off. However, realize that they do this because they can’t answer your questions.

So, again, laugh at them as they’re stomping away like an angry two-year-old.

8. How to Shut Down a Bully:

“You’ll get over it.”

This is the perfect response in lieu of a direct apology.

This may seem callous, unfeeling, and cold. However, this response allows you to respond without accepting blame.

Always remember that bullies lack integrity and a conscience. Therefore, if you happen to have these two virtues, bullies will only steamroll you with it.

Moreover, this comment will more than likely rile your bullies’ emotions. Why? Because they’ll get the message that you don’t take them seriously.

Moreover, their outbursts of anger and indignation will expose them for who they really are. Therefore, respond without taking responsibility for their bad behavior and do it with power!

9. “Don’t worry. You’ll Live.”

This response is the same as number 8 but with a softer touch. Again, this deflects any gaslighting away from you and back to the bully. The “Don’t worry” part highlights the bully’s anger or upset emotional state while buffering you from the bully’s initial attack.

It’s one of the perfect verbal boomerangs that can force bullies to expose themselves. Why? Because most bullies will explode at this comeback even if it is a softer one.

The reason your bullies will get so upset is because they’ll get the message that you take their frantic whining with a grain of salt.

What bully wouldn’t flip out at a response like this? Remember that bullies want you to get emotional. Or, they want you to hang your head low and walk away. They want you to feel as if you wronged them somehow.

But don’t!

Instead, use these responses and pretty soon, no one will want to bully you. These responses worked for me and they can work for you too.

10. How to Shut Down a Bully:

“Oh, you finally found something funny to say?”

This is good to use when a bully tries to deliver a good burn in front of an audience. Not only does it let them know that they aren’t funny, but it also lets them know they didn’t phase you with that corny jab.

Therefore, the bully will least likely try anything like that again a second time.

11. “This is so Boring. Let me know when you’re done.”

This is a great comeback because it tells the bully that they don’t upset you, hurt you, or anger you. What it says is that they bore the hell out of you. Ouch!

This is a huge let-down to the bully because they last thing they want is to be told that they’re boring.

Therefore, they’ll likely decide that they’d be better off finding an easier target.

This post was all about how to shut down a bully so that you can bully-proof yourself and protect your mental health.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. How to Disarm a Bully: 13 Clever Comebacks that Work Wonders

2. Phrases to Shut Down a Gaslighter: 9 Powerful Statements to Use

3. How to Spot a Bully: 13 Must-Know Body-Language Examples

4. How to Outsmart a Bully: 1 Proven Strategy.

5. 5 Things to Never Do with a Bully

Speaking Out Against Bullying: 5 Ways Bullies React When You Speak Up

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‘Want to know how your bullies will react when you begin speaking out against bullying? Here are the reactions you need to know about so that you can learn how to re-frame them and see them for what they are. Also, here’s why you should feel good about it when your bullies react out of panic.

speaking out against bullying

Remember that your bullies thrive on your silence. Why? Because, as long as you stay quiet about the abuse they inflict on you, they can continue to avoid accountability. Even worse, they get to continue bullying you freely and with impunity.

Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that you begin speaking out if you want to take your power and your life back.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn how your bullies will react when you begin speaking out against bullying. Also, you will learn how much it will positively change your life.

Once you learn what to expect from bullies, you will be prepared to double down and stand your ground no matter what. In that, you will successfully take back your personal power and, with it, control over your life.

This post is all about what happens when you start speaking out against bullying and the positive life-changes that come with it.

Speaking out against bullying

Speaking out against bully starts with reporting your bullies and their bullying when it happens to you. Bullies made coerce you to stay silent. In fact, they may intimidate and induce fear into you. They may threaten physical violence or social consequences.

However, you have a right to safety and dignity. Therefore, reporting your bullies is the first step if you want to overcome bullying.

 Yes, speaking out is scary and yes, it involves taking a huge risk of being retaliated against.

But understand that anytime your bullies retaliate and seek to punish you for reporting them, it speaks volumes. It shows that they’re desperate. Moreover, it shows that they’re guilty!

Why? Because if your bullies weren’t guilty, they wouldn’t need to retaliate and they wouldn’t make such an effort to silence you.

In other words, behind a bully’s retaliation for your refusal to stay silent is the knowledge of their own guilt and fear of exposure and resulting consequences. Sadly, most people still haven’t caught onto this yet.

But what if I report it and people in authority refuse to listen?

Understand this right now. Although members of authority and bystanders may not want to listen to your pleas for help, the truth is that they can never un-hear what you’ve told them.

Moreover, though they all may cover for the bully and deny they saw any bullying take place, they can still never unsee it. As long as it reaches their eyes and ears, you still have a voice.

Speaking out against bullying:

When Bullies Retaliate because you spoke out, it screams panic and desperation.

Think about this. Warplanes always get bombarded with the most flack any time they’re flying over their target. This is when the battle is at it’s absolute worst!

You see, the closer the plane gets to the target, the more the enemy will escalate their defensive attacks.

It’s the same with bullies. Any time you peg them on their BS, you’re over the target. And they will hurl all kinds of vicious attacks on you.

Therefore, accept it, expect it, and most importantly prepare for it.

Moreover, if you ever find yourself in this kind of situation, don’t let them shake you. Always remember the warplane analogy and you’ll better withstand the onslaught. Even better, you’ll be able to call it out when it happens.

You’d be surprised how much easier it is to fight against something once you can name it. A problem that you can put a name on and explain clearly is a problem you can more easily solve.

5 Things Bullies and Abusers Do When You Call out Their Abuse

Here’s how your bullies will react when you put their bullying on blast.

1. Speaking out Against Bullying:

Lash out at you.

This is the most revealing. Many bullies and abusers will go into a tirade. In other words, they’ll scream and yell at you. They’ll curse you out and call you the ugliest names. In fact, they’ll call everything but a child of God.

I won’t kid you. It will be difficult to face but don’t panic and don’t be afraid.

Instead, see it for what it is. By breaking your silence, you forced your bullies to reveal their true colors. Why?

Because when your bullies fly off the handle and viciously attack you, that’s when you know you’ve busted them. In fact, you force them to bust themselves just by their very reactions!

Also, you force them to explain themselves.

In forcing the bully to explain their past or present behavior, you instantly remove their “authority”- their power because neither power nor authority ever explains itself. It doesn’t have to.

In other words, you instantly snatch them out of their position of power and move them into a vulnerable position. You automatically turn the tables and leave the bullies in a subordinate place.

In short, you strip them of power. Ouch!

2. Deny their abuse.

Bullies and abusers may confront you either calmly or aggressively, claiming they never bullied or mistreated you. And, you can be sure that they’ll tell anyone who’ll listen to them the same thing.

Again, don’t let it deter you. Calmly tell them, “Don’t try to deny it because you did.” The trick is to not only call out what they did, but also to call out their denial of it.

3. Speaking out Against Bullying:

Gaslight you.

Oftentimes, when you defend yourself against a bully, others may gaslight you by either trivializing the bullying or dismissing it.

They may claim that you must’ve misinterpreted them somehow. Moreover, they may question your memory of the events. They may even accuse you of imagining things.

 You may hear remarks such as, “it’s only in your mind” or “you’re just being overly sensitive”.

Also, they may make statements such as:

  • “Well, we were just kids then.”
  • “But that’s all water under the bridge.”
  • “Just let bygones be bygones.”
  • ”Just let sleeping dogs lie.”

They may tell you to “get over it” or accuse you of bringing up old stuff. Understand that any time people make these statements, their main goal is to shut you up.

Here are other objectives for their gaslighting:

  • To minimize their past brutality and the impact it all had on you
  • To make you look like a whiner who just can’t “let the past go.”
  • To cover their backsides and minimize any dents to their reputations or any backlash they might receive.

You must realize that this is gaslighting and it speaks volumes about their character. You know bullying when it happens to you, so, don’t be afraid to counter their gaslighting.

4. Speaking out Against Bullying:

Defame you.

The second you notice their bullying and call it out is when bullies and abusers lose control over you. Therefore, if they can no longer control you, they will control how others see you.

And they will tell everyone who will listen what a lowdown piece of garbage you are.

However, as difficult as it may be, don’t let it phase you. Realize that they’re panicking and in a mad rush to do some damage control. Why? Because they’re afraid that word about their true nature just might get around and cause them to lose face.

So, expect them to tell everyone that you’re “mentally imbalanced” and that you’re having some sort of mental episode.

Again, they’re only revealing their true colors. Why? Because if you weren’t telling the truth, they wouldn’t care and wouldn’t react so desperately. So, always see this as an admission of guilt.

5. Avoid you.

These types won’t bother you. Instead, they’ll avoid you like the plague because they’re scared. Understand that this is the best outcome because if they’re avoiding you, you don’t have to worry about them trying to gaslight you.

Why? Because they know they’ve been found out and that word of their abuse is already very quickly circulating.

However, be advised that not all people who avoid you will stay away from you for long. They may avoid you long enough to defame you to others. Moreover, they just might secretly plot revenge against you for daring to open your mouth.

Different bullies react different ways and may use any or all four of the above defensive measures.

Speaking out Against Bullying:

In conclusion:

I can’t stress this enough. Bullies and abusers count on your silence. Moreover, they detest, or more appropriately, fear the possibility of you exposing them.

Exposure is the worst thing that could happen to them. Why? Because it puts them at risk of losing respect in the community.

Therefore, the last thing they want is for other people to see them for the monsters they are.

Understand that bullies make everything about appearances. And when you will back the curtain, you make liars and hypocrites out of them.

So, naturally, they’re going to either attack you, avoid you, or both.

Again, don’t be afraid. Instead, see it as they’re unwittingly revealing themselves and let them go at it. Let them launch their personal attacks.

By attacking you, they only tell off on themselves.

This post was all about the possible reactions of bullies when you begin speaking out against bullying. The purpose of this post was to help you see through their reactions so that you’ll be more encouraged to talk.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. What Constitutes Bullying and What Doesn’t

2. Bullying Tactics: 9 Subtle Moves Bullies Use to Avoid Detection

3. Bullying and Banter: 9 Differences You Must Know

4. The Effects of Bullying: 17 Negative Results on Victims

5. Bullying and Narcissism: 7 Secret Powers of Narcopathic Bullies

Culture of bullying in school systems

Culture of Bullying in Schools: Why Schools Lose Money

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‘Want to know why a culture of bullying in schools causes them to lose money and what you can do if you or your child suffers bullying? Here are all the facts you need to know about and the steps you can take if you’re a parent of a bullied child.

culture of bullying in schools

“When bullied children stay home to avoid hurtful relationships, schools lose tens of millions of dollars each year, a study says.” (Education Week)

According to The Atlantic (theatlantic.com) in a 2013 article by Eleanor Barkham, “160,000 kids stay home from school each day to avoid being bullied.” (https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp/.theatlantic.com/amp/article/280201/)

It adds up. Imagine those numbers per week, per month, and school year.
Each state receives federal funding for education.

You will learn all about the culture of bullying in schools and why educational institutions lose money. Moreover, you will learn what they’re doing about it and why you should be concerned. Lastly, you will learn what you can do if you or your child is stuck in a school where bullies run amuck.

Once you learn all of this life-saving information, you will be prompted to take steps to get yourself or your child out of a toxic learning environment. Then, you will select a school where you or your kid can learn in peace and flourish.

This post is all about the culture of bullying in schools and why they lose money. It’s also about what these schools are doing about it and why you should be concerned. Lastly, it’s about the importance of transferring your child to a safer school so that they can learn in a safe environment.

Culture of Bullying In Schools

The federal government funds the states, then each state funds each of its schools a specific dollar amount per day, per child in attendance. Therefore, when a student is absent from class on any given day, the school loses money for that particular student that day.

Many schools choose to sweep incidences of bullying under the rug. Moreover, it’s the victims who others label the troublemakers. In other words, they blame the incident victim of bullying for the abuse they suffer. Even worse people punish the target while letting the bullies off the hook.

This only encourages the bullies to bully the victim again later. Then, the abuse becomes a cycle that only repeats itself. This is why many victims skip school to avoid their tormentors and the teachers and staff who continuously blame them for their own suffering.

I don’t blame these kids for staying home. Many times, I skipped class myself when I was in school. All because of bullying.

Who wants to be in an environment where people continuously abuse them? You might as well stay home because you’re so busy watching your back that you don’t learn anything.

If school staff fails to address bullying at the district level, more bullied kids will skip school to avoid being tormented. Therefore, schools will lose more funds.

In my opinion, it serves these schools right! It’s funny how things always run full circle!

Reasons to Leave a Toxic Environment

A Positive Environment

When you’re in the right environment, you thrive instead of survive. In other words, when you can learn in a place that is accepting, loving, and nurturing, you can grow and flourish.

In a positive environment, under the right conditions, you feel free to be yourself. You can express your own ideas and opinions confidently and without fear.

Also, you feel safe and secure. You can be confident and build positive relationships with others. Thus giving you the freedom to create and to show your talents.

The people around you encourage and support you. They cooperate and give you the freedom to be and do. Moreover, they gently nudge and push you to be your best. This is the kind of environment that nurtures your soul.

Whereas, in the wrong environment, you stumble and fall. When you’re stuck somewhere that is toxic, oppressive, restrictive, and harmful, you only survive.

In other words, you don’t work at your full potential. You only squeeze by. Instead of grow, you only stagnate, or worse, regress. In other words, instead of flourish, you only wither.

Culture of bullying In Schools:

A Toxic Environment

In a toxic environment, under terrible conditions, you aren’t free. You’re only a prisoner. You’re a slave – a victim.

Humans need more than just food and water to survive. They also need positivity and encouragement. They need healthy people around them.  Also, human beings need diverse experiences instead of sameness.

Sadly, a toxic, bullying environment only promotes sameness. It doesn’t tolerate any form of diversity because it loathes anything different.

Environmental stimuli have a huge impact on your mental health and social interactions. Moreover, it can make you bitter or better. Your environment can either cause you to progress or regress.

Therefore, if you find yourself in an environment that sucks the oxygen out of you, you must remove yourself from it. Though it may not always be easy to do. Leaving a toxic place will salvage your self-esteem and mental health. In doing so, you will save yourself a lot of stress and heartache. Moreover, you will save yourself months of recovery.

Flowers Can’t Grow and Bloom Without Sunlight

Self-doubt kills dreams. It comes when bullies and abusers shower a target person with toxicity. Therefore, when all a person gets are insults and abuse for a long period of time, they become exhausted. Moreover, any positivity they once had is slowly drained from them until they’re totally depleted of it.

Eventually, if targets aren’t careful, they’ll start to believe their abusers. In other words, they’ll start seeing themselves through the eyes of their bullies. They’ll give up and others will see in them, a person who’s lackluster and slow.

When you’re a target of bullying, you’re like a flower that gets nothing but constant rain. The flower doesn’t grow and develop properly.

The consistent abuse zaps your energy and keeps you hyper-vigilant and on guard 24/7- waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Culture of bullying in Schools:

Bullying takes away your spirit.

In other words, you’re in survival mode. And you lose your happiness, confidence, pride, will, and purpose in life. In essence, your bullies take away your good qualities and turn you into a person you don’t even recognize anymore.

Bullying and abuse takes the joy out of your life. Moreover, you begin to daydream about escaping your current situation. If there is no escape route available, you feel stuck.

Then, you isolate yourself and become a recluse. You retreat into your own little fantasy world because it just feels safer that way.

Finally, you stop growing as a person because you live inside your head instead of observing life that’s going on around you. As a result you stop and learning the lessons life is trying to teach you.

All the while, the bullying and abuse you suffer only gets worse because everyone around you knows that you’re living inside your head and they ridicule you for it.

And people do not know what you are going through. Therefore, they may mistake you for being lazy, slow, or foolish.

However, it only causes you to retreat further inside yourself and the bullying only gets worse. It is a vicious cycle, and it is no way to live!

Culture of Bullying in Schools:

You must have a good balance of positive and negative experiences.

Not only do I understand how you feel inside, I understand why. Just as flowers can’t grow without sunlight, people can’t grow without positivity.

Flowers need a good balance of rain and sunlight and people need a good balance of positivity and negativity. They cannot survive on just negativity nor positivity.

Too much negativity or, in this case, toxicity, and the person’s emotional and psychological growth will be stunted. Moreover, their happiness, confidence, and dreams will die. As a result, they’ll give up.

Too much positivity, and they lose touch with the real world and real people. Therefore, they become arrogant, full of themselves, demanding, and tyrannical!

There has to be a healthy balance of both before a person can truly grow.

Culture of bullying in schools:

Never accept anything your bullies tell you.

Therefore, if you’re a target of bullying, never accept what bullies and abusers try to cram down your throat. I want you to realize that they don’t know you at all.

Although they may claim they know you more than you know yourself. The truth is, nobody can possibly know you like you do. Moreover, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying through their teeth.

Understand that bullies and abusers are miserable people who want you to be as miserable as they are. Therefore, stay away from those people. They aren’t worth your time or energy. Only keep company with people who love you and who uplift you!

Remember that there’s always hope. Also, realize that you’re worth much more than what your bullies say. Never let bullies destroy the things inside you that matter the most.

And those things are your self-love, self-respect, confidence, and sense of pride. Those things are yours and not for anyone else to have!

And how you do this is through self-care. If at all possible, remove yourself from the bullying environment. Go to a new place where you can grow and flourish.

In a new environment, you have the chance to make friends and be not only accepted, but celebrated!

Be your own hero and best friend. Be your own sunlight! Keep company with people who allow you to shine and the sun to shine on you!

This post was all about the culture of bullying in schools so that you can know whether your school has that toxic culture and convince your family to take advantage of school choice.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. School Choice: Why it’s a Godsend for Bullied Kids! 

2. Bullying by Teachers in School: 7 Steps to Protect Yourself

3. Why do Schools Ignore Bullying? 7 Reasons Schools Do Nothing

4. Bullying Support: 7 Resources You Can Reach Out to

5. Things School Bullies Try to Hide: 13 Things They’re Ashamed Of

Effects of Bullying on the Victim: 13 Symptoms of Bullied People

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‘Want to know all the effects of bullying on the victim? Here are the symptoms you have if people constantly bully you.

effects of bullying on the victim

When you endure bullying, especially after a long time, you go through so many emotions. Moreover, you know you must bury those emotions or people will punish you for them.

In this post, you will learn the effects of bullying on the victim. If you’re a victim, you must know these effects so that you’ll be able to express them better to a therapist or to a confidant.

Once you learn about these negative impacts, you’ll be able to talk to someone about it without rambling.  You’ll also be motivated to take steps to either stand up for yourself or leave the environment.

This post is all about the effects of bullying on the victim so that you can effectively speak out about it. Also, you can begin doing what you must do to take care of yourself.

Effects of Bullying on the Victim

1. fear

It’s the intense fear you feel but don’t dare show. Moreover, it’s the paralyzing social fear that sets in. It only shuts you down and leaves you withdrawn from the rest of the world.

2. Hyper-Vigilance

Once people have bullied you for so long, you become intensely suspicious of every person you meet. Any laughter you hear, you automatically think, is directed at you. This is no way to live.

3. Pinned up Rage

After people bully you for so long, you become angry. In fact, you become enraged. But you don’t dare show it. Instead, you keep it buried deep, because you know that any show of emotion will bring even more bullying.

Therefore, you constantly keep your emotions in check.

4. confusion and bewilderment

Your bullies’ behavior confuses you. You often wonder what you did to make them so hateful and irate.

Moreover, you know that you should take a stand against the bullies. You know that you should speak out about it, only you don’t know how to do it, and you’re terrified that it will only make things worse.

5. Effects of Bullying on the Victim:

unanswered questions

A thousand questions play in your mind several times daily.

“Why me?” “What have I done to these people” and “How do I fix this?” are the questions you have in your head every time bullies surround you and harass you.

Moreover, you know what you want to say to the bullies.

“Look! Leave me the &%$# alone!” you scream inside your head but don’t’ dare say it because you know what’s likely to come next.

6. feelings of loneliness and isolation

When you suffer bullying, bullies smear you to keep you isolated and from making any new friends. At the same time, you automatically put up walls of protection to keep others out.

This only reinforces the separation from others.

7. loss of your entire personhood

In other words, you forget how to smile, laugh, and have a good time. In short, you forget how to connect with and interact with others.

Once bullies have browbeaten you for so long, you lose the vibrant, happy, and healthy person you once were.

Moreover, each insult, each rumor, each physical attack, each joke, and each prank cuts a little deeper. It chips away at your self-esteem, bringing you even lower.

You feel trapped, as if your bullies are holding you hostage!

8. Effects of Bullying on the Victim:

Constant Living in Survival Mode

Living in survival mode can make for a hellish life. Sadly, many targets of bullying go through day-to-day life surviving instead of thriving.

Consequently, this can have an impact on your successes with your family and relationships. You’re also likely to lose opportunities for advancement and for friendships.

Living in survival mode can also effect your mental and physical health.

Being stuck in survival mode can rob you of your personal power. Why?

Because personal power is essential to personal freedom. It’s the last vestige of power you have. Therefore, without it, you’re completely powerless.

9. Mental and physical exhaustion

And when you’re exhausted, you’re only running on fumes. You need extra sleep and have trouble getting out of bed in the mornings.

Moreover, you go into work or school at 8am dreading the day. Your butt drags around like an old, tired dog. You have zero energy, and constantly feel sluggish.

Living off raw adrenaline every day is never good. It can cause health problems, such as autoimmune disorders, hypertension, and heart issues.

10. Effects of Bullying On the Victim:

Instead of living, you only exist.

Instead of living a purposeful life, you only go through the motions. Circumstances beyond your control force you to only get by.

You have no chance of reaching your full potential and happiness quotient. Therefore, if you feel you can’t reach those levels, you don’t really live.

11. You either don’t have time to think about personal goals or you give up on them altogether.

When you busy living in survival mode, you’ll more than likely give up on your goals. Once you resign yourself, then the goal simply becomes just to survive and get through the day.

If you do think about your goals, those goals are only passing thoughts. Or you wish for your goals to materialize.

But here’s the thing about wishing instead of goal setting. Wishing denotes a spirit of lack instead of the spirit of abundance. A spirit of lack only invites more lack to come into your life.

You must understand that thoughts and feelings become our circumstances. In other words, what you think about, if even subconsciously, comes about.

12. You feel you must lie to people for your safety.

If people target you for bullying, chances are that you don’t like telling falsehoods. In fact, most victims of bullying hate lying! However, they do so out of fear and terror. Therefore, they lie out of self-preservation.

You see, a person who is under the threat of being harmed will do anything to remove that threat. Therefore, if they have to lie to save themselves, they’ll do it.

You must tell lie after lie just to survive! Why? Because you know the truth could get you hurt. So, you lie to make the bullying stop.

Consequently, if you aren’t careful, lying will eventually become a survival method.Moreover, it will turn into a terrible habit that’s hard to break.

13. Effects of Bullying on the Victim:

Learned Helplessness

After people have bullied and abused you for so long, you develop a condition called “Learned Helplessness.” In other words, you give up and forego any options you have to make a better life for yourself.

The only things you may know are bullying and abuse. Therefore, if those are the only things you know, you’re likely to stay stuck in relationships that hurt.

Moreover, you’ll probably stay in harmful environments. Why? Because bullies and abusers have conditioned you to believe that abuse is normal. Also, they make you think that it’s all you deserve and are ever going to get.

This happens to animals as well. Here’s a piece from the book, “The Body Keeps the Score,” by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M. D.

“Maier and Seligman had repeatedly administered painful electrical shocks to dogs who were trapped in locked cages. They called this condition, ‘inescapable shock.’”

“After administering several courses of electric shock, the researchers opened the doors of the cages and then shocked the dogs again. A group of control dogs who had never been shocked before immediately ran away, but the dogs who had earlier been subjected to inescapable shock made no attempt to flee, even when the door was wide open- they just lay there, whimpering and defecating. The mere opportunity to escape does not necessarily make traumatized animals, or people, take the road to freedom.

Like Maier and Seligman’s dogs, many traumatized people give up. Rather than risk experimenting with new options, they stay stuck in the fear they know.”

In other words, you allow the abuse because you think that there’s nothing you can do about it. Therefore, you give up and stop fighting.

Effects of Bullying On the Victim

In Conclusion:

This is why you must recognize the horrible effects of bullying when you feel them. Moreover, you should never to allow bullies and abusers to drive you to giving up.

In other words, never let these people brainwash you into believing that you’re helpless. Why? Because it will have devastating consequences for your entire life.

No matter how others treat you and how bad things get, you must hold on to your self-belief. And you must do it everything you have.

Also, you must hold on to hope and keep your eyes on your goals and dreams. Only then will you break the hold any bullies or abusers have on you.

You may not physically be able to escape the bullying and abuse. However, you still have control over your mind. You still have a say over what goes into your mind and what you choose to kick out of it.

Know that you have more power than you know. Use it! Realize that you’re worth it and you deserve to live in peace.

This post was all about the effects of bullying on the victim so that you can recognize the symptoms and call them by name if you have fallen victim.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Lack of Boundaries: 15 Signs You Need to Get Some

2. Signs of Gaslighting: The 7 Signs You Must Know

3. Signs of Toxic People: 5 Tell-Tale Indicators

4. Coercive Control: The Top 5 Signs and How to Escape It

5. The 4 Stages of Bullying

bullied for being autistic reddit

Bullied for Being Autistic: 7 Reasons Those with ASD Suffer High Rates of Bullying

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‘Want to know why people with ASD are bullied for being autistic? Here are all the answers you need to know, especially if you’re on the spectrum or have a loved one who is.

bullied for being autistic

Sadly, those on the Autism Spectrum suffer THE highest rates of bullying. What most people with someone with ASD in the family don’t understand is why their loved one gets bullied so much and so often.

In this post, you will learn the exact reasons people target those on the spectrum for bullying, persecution, and oppression so that you can easily and confidently call it out when you see it.

Once you learn all about these crucial details, you will be able to stand up for your loved one and call out any bully who dares to exploit them in any way.

This post is all about people who are bullied for being autistic. Moreover, it’s about the reasons bullies love to target those on the spectrum and how you can call this insidious and cowardly form of bullying.

Bullied for Being Autistic

Sadly, most people with autism are doomed to a life of bullying, abuse, and exploitation. As a result, they often live a lifetime of loneliness and isolation. Here’s why bullies love to target the autism community.

1. Those on the Autism spectrum aren’t able to read social cues.

This makes them easy targets for predators, particularly, bullies and abusers. When a person isn’t able to read social cues, it’s as if they’re walking blind.

Therefore, the victim may not know when they’re in danger. In other words, they may not be able to tell or to sense when someone is evil and means to hurt them.

This is because the victim on the Autism spectrum isn’t able to read facial expressions and body language. And when you aren’t able to read non-verbal communication, bullies can easily pick up on it.

As a result, bullies will take full advantage. For example, many people on the spectrum are lonely and long to make friends. In fact, they are desperate to have friends.

Bullies pick up on this desperation. Therefore, they will often pretend to be friends with the victim with autism. Moreover, while these bullies put on this fake act to trick the AS person into trusting them, they only mock and ridicule them in front of other people.

They do this to make a fool out of the person and humiliate them.

After this happens enough times, the person with ASD will isolate themselves. Why? Because they’ll grow afraid of relationships and friendships, thinking that other people just aren’t safe.

People who pretend to be friends with you to get close enough to hurt you can shatter your faith and trust in humanity. Therefore, you isolate yourself. You may even resign yourself to a life of isolation.

Therefore, we must teach those on the spectrum to read nonverbal communication, listen to their intuitions, and recognize evil people when they meet them. Again, these skills can be taught!

Let’s teach those with Autism Spectrum Disorder these skills!

This happens in the workplace too.

Adults with Autism often suffer social exclusion and are ostracized by their coworkers. Also, supervisors and managers may exploit them.

Again, being on the autism spectrum dooms many people to a sad and lonely life of bullying, abuse, and exploitation. As a result, they don’t really live, they only exist.

2. Bullied for Being Autistic:

People on the spectrum often Have Difficulty Asserting themselves properly.

In other words, when bullies provoke them,  one of two things usually happen. They either don’t stand up to them at all or they fly into a rage.

Not standing up for yourself can give others the impression that you’re a doormat. Moreover, people see that there are no consequences for their bullying behavior. Therefore, they think it’s okay.

On the other hand, flying into a rage can make the person with autism seem mentally unstable or dangerous. Therefore, this is another reason they’re more susceptible to bullying and abuse.

3. Those on the spectrum are known for having meltdowns.

Bullies may witness them having meltdowns and think it’s funny. As a result, bullies begin to see the victim with autism as a source of free entertainment.

Therefore, they may deliberately try to provoke the victim with autism and get them to react so that they can get their jollies.

Here’s another thing bullies may do. They  may also use the meltdown against their autistic victim. For instance, they may use it as confirmation of mental instability.

Moreover, bullies may also use the meltdown to make it look like the person with ASD started the altercation and make themselves look like the innocent victims.

And lastly, bullies will use the meltdowns as a distraction from their own bad behavior.

In other words, if the other person’s behavior is worse and over the top, then, who are you likely to look at? The bullies’ behavior or that of the person who’s flipping out because the bullies provoked them?

Sadly, people use those with autism as the perfect cover for their own abuse and bad behavior. I’ll do another post on this later.

4. Bullied for Being Autistic:

People on the spectrum often have poor eye-hand coordination.

In other words, those with autism often struggle with clumsiness. This is because they have poor depth perception and judgement of distance. Also, they usually have poor balance.

Therefore, bullies see them as easy targets for physical bullying. Add that to the meltdowns and rages those with autism are known to have and others only think that the bullies are the innocent victims when, in fact, the opposite is true!

This is what makes them easy targets for physical bullying.

5. Those with Autism often have trouble making eye contact.

Anytime someone has difficulty making eye contact, bullies automatically see this as a sign of intimidation and low self-esteem. Therefore, this is a hallmark of an easy target.

Poor eye contact signals fear and bullies thrive on their victims’ fear. Always remember that!

6. Most People with Autism are in the special Education Class at school.

Kids in sped classes get bullied terribly because most others presume them to be “ret4rded.” Those with autism are no exception.

Therefore, other students see anyone who is in the sped classes to be of lower social status. And bullies will bully them because of it.

7. Bullied for Being Autistic:

People with Autism are Different.

The dark side to human nature dictates that anyone who is different should be excluded from the social group. We know that they should be included and that we should accept those who are different.

However, bullies don’t think like we do and sadly, the majority of bystanders don’t either. People tend to gravitate toward and take care of those who are most like them. Therefore, it’s sad to say that those on the autism spectrum may never fit in with the neurotypical majority.

This alone makes them prime targets for bullying. Therefore, we need to be proactive in protecting them from bullies.

In conclusion:

Sadly, those in the autism community are the most vulnerable and least valued in most schools, companies, organizations, and communities. It’s a grim reality that we all need to be aware of.

Furthermore, they are, for the most part, defenseless. The heartbreaking truth is that nine times out of ten, the rest of society and even members of authority do not see people with autism as human beings.

Should it be any wonder bullies prey the most on sped students, those with autism, and anyone who is disabled? It’s because bullies are great big cowards. All too often, those with autism are unwilling or unable to defend themselves effectively.

Because students with autism are usually low on social intelligence, bullies can exploit them at will.

Bullied for Being Autistic:

Even teachers aren’t above bullying students on the spectrum.

I’ve witnessed, firsthand, a group of cliquey teachers laughing at and mocking sped students. And these people were supposed to be adults!

These cruel educators would look down their noses at these kids and openly ridicule them!Moreover, I also heard the mean-spirited comments.

The teachers remarked about how these kids would never find a job nor contribute anything to society. They also concluded that they would only be a drain on the taxpayers’ money once they got out of school.

I have to tell you. Just listening to those remarks made me sick to my stomach! How I wish I’d had the guts to stand up for those students when it happened!

However, I was only seventeen and a student myself at the time. I knew to keep my mouth shut because these bullies were teachers.

Every school and workplace has those types of teachers and managerial staff. Moreover, they are usually the ones who mistreat lunch ladies and janitors as well. It’s a crying shame!

This is why we need upstanders who aren’t afraid to stand up for these people. However, sadly, upstanders are only few and far between.

Therefore, we also must teach these victims how to stand up for themselves.

This post was all about those who are bullied for being autistic and why bullies do it so that we can call these bullies out when we see it happen.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Easy Targets for Bullies: 6 Groups of People Bullies Love to Target

2. Who are Usually the Victims of Bullying? 11 Traits of Bully Targets

3. Weaponizing Mental Health: 7 Reasons Bullies Label You Mentally Ill

4. Bullying by Teachers in School: 7 Steps to Protect Yourself

5. Bullying by Teachers: 15 Proven Signs a Teacher is Bullying You

Adult Survivors of School Bullying: 19 Things They Do Differently

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‘Want to know how adult survivors of school bullying differ from other adults? Here you’ll find way just how differently they handle people and what they do that most others don’t.

adult survivors of school bullying

Targets of school bullying often learn tough lessons- lessons that they carry into adulthood. Bullying shapes their personalities, and the ways they do things once they leave school and move away from their tormentors.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn how adult survivors of school bullying differ from other adults. Moreover, you will learn their attitudes and how they handle social situations.

Once you learn all about these differences, you will be able to tell if you fall into this category and why you should be proud that you overcame and come away from it stronger than ever.

This post is all about adult survivors of school bullying and how they differ from adults who weren’t bullied as kids.

Adult Survivors of School Bullying

School bullying can teach you some hard life-lessons, things you carry into adulthood. School bullying changes you. It changes the ways you do things. Also, it changes your attitude and the way you handle people.

So, if you were bullied in school as a kid, how do you differ from other adults?

1. You Watch others Closely.

Your experiences with bullies during school sharpened your emotional and social intelligence. Because you learned very early on how evil people can be, you know how to watch others without looking like you’re watching them.

You notice body language, facial expressions, micro-expressions, tonality, delivery, and demeanor. Your people-sense wasn’t fully developed during school years. Therefore, back then, you often let those in your life who were only there to do harm you.

Moreover, you paid dearly for it. Therefore, as an adult, you watch closely and avoid such people.

2. You no longer fear saying “no” and will sometimes say it simply because You can!

When you were a schoolkid, bullies violated your boundaries to such an extent that they silenced you. As a result, no one allowed you to protest when something didn’t feel right.

People forced you to take a lot of abuse. However, now that you’re an adult, you get to decide what you will and will not tolerate. Moreover, you exercise that freedom and autonomy every chance you get!

Why? Because saying no and setting boundaries gives you a feeling of empowerment.

3. Adult Survivors of School Bullying:

You’re a no-nonsense adult.

You learned, early on, the games people play. Therefore, manipulators can’t dupe you so easily. You live by the old, “fool me once…” saying and hold it close to your heart.

4. You Solidly refuse to take any crap from anyone.

And this goes no matter the consequences you face. You took enough crap from classmates in school. And you took even more of it from a few rotten apples, who called themselves school staff.

 As an adult, you’re even more determined not to let others violate your boundaries.

5. You don’t give people many chances.

To you, first impressions are important, so anyone you meet had better make it count. These are your mottoes.

  • One red flag, I’m gone!
  • One bad vibe, goodbye!
  • Any attempts to bullshit, see ya!

In the past, you were too forgiving of others. Therefore, others took you for granted and mistook your kindness for weakness. They then exploited your kindness. Moreover, they did it much to your humiliation.

Therefore, you refuse ever again subject yourself to such abuse.

6. Adult Survivors of School Bullying:

You Work Your ass off!

Why? Because you’re tenacious when it comes to getting what you want. Therefore, you’ll stop at almost nothing to reach success.

You had enough of what you didn’t want while in school. Others called you a failure many times back then. This lit a fire under you. In other words, it made you that much more determined to succeed at everything you set out to do.

In fact, you may do it for no other reason than to show the haters and naysayers that you can! Show them up and shut them up is another motto you hold.

7. You like having control over You own life.

 Moreover, you will do anything to keep that control.

You had enough of others taking control of your life long ago. Therefore, you will shut down the first jack-weed who tries to take away your personal power.

8. You can spot a bully a mile away.

… in the dark! Yes! You’re that good! For years, you dealt with bullies in school on a daily basis. Therefore, you know the signs by heart.

This makes you nearly expert, at pointing out the troublemakers.

9. You either avoid bullies like the plague or take extreme pleasure in putting them in their places.

You’ve grown to looove standing up to bullies and they will call them out every chance you get. Moreover, you love to make bullies feel like the losers they are.

Understand that you do this, remembering all the times you didn’t or couldn’t defend yourself in school.

10. Adult Survivors of School Bullying:

You have a thick skin that has become difficult for others outside your circle, to penetrate.

That’s your power. You love being unpredictable and keeping others on their toes. In other words, you love making them try and figure you out  because it’s fun.

11. You can’t stand to watch others being made fun of and will rush to their defense.

You’re not afraid to get nose to nose with a bully if you must. Moreover, you defend others from bullies not only to help them. Subconsciously, you do it to make up for all the times you felt helpless.

This compensates them for all the times you didn’t or couldn’t defend yourself against bullies in school.

12. You Have a nose for horseshit.

If someone tries to feed you a load of hogwash, you know it instantly and instinctively. Moreover, you see it as an insult to your intelligence and become angry.

Why? Because you know that the liar thinks you’re too foolish to figure them out. Therefore, you won’t hesitate to call the creep out!

13. You can More easily pick up on the emotions of others.

You cannot stand the thought of causing emotional or physical harm to another person. However, only if that person isn’t trying to harm you first.

14. Adult Survivors of School Bullying:

You place extra value on your families and friends.

You take extreme care not to take those you love for granted. Why? Because you know what it’s like to be completely alone and have no friends at all.

Therefore, you cherish your family and friends and the time you spend with them.

15. You are, in some ways, selfish.

You put a lot of value on yourself and your wants, needs, and interests. Why? Because others didn’t value you as a kid during school.

Therefore, you make it a point to put yourself first in almost everything. The only people you put ahead of you are your children, spouse, and parents.

16. Words don’t convince You. Only actions and patterns do.

Back in the day, others duped you. You heard a mountain of empty promises and cheap words and paid dearly for believing them.

Therefore, you’ll be damned if you ever repeat that mistake.

17. You live by your gut instincts.

In other words, you trust your gut because you paid a heavy price for ignoring it. Therefore, you now have a sixth sense.

You’re excellent at picking up vibes (especially bad ones) and reading people and their intentions. If something or someone doesn’t feel right, you won’t hesitate to either walk away or tell the suspicious person to take a long walk off a short pier.

18. Adult Survivors of School Bullying:

If anyone tells you that you Can’t, you’ll do it anyway.

Moreover, you’ll do it just to show them that you can. On the other hand, if someone tells you not to do something and you’ll do it and take pictures.

You only see it as a challenge. Therefore, you’ll do just the opposite of what the other person says, just to show them up.

For example, you may work toward a goal and have naysayers who try to discourage you. Instead of listening to them, you only double down. You then reach your goal and end up living an enriching life!

19. You don’t send your kids to the same school you were bullied in.

HELL NO!

In fact, hell will freeze before you allow your children to grace the halls of the school.
What parent worth their own salt would subject their children to that kind of learning environment if they could help it?

You know that bullies tend to take jobs that give them authority (Teaching, Law Enforcement, Corrections Officer, Supervisor, etc.). Moreover, you know that many of your former bullies will probably be teachers by the time your babies reach school age. You also know that teaching is the second-highest profession for workplace bullying.

Also, you know the mentality of bullies. If they hated you first, they will hate your children even more.

In other words, if they targeted you, it’s a safe bet that they’ll would target your babies once the bullies find out that you’re the parent.

Therefore, you’ll send your children to another school or you’ll home-school them.

This post was all about adult survivors of school bullying and the things they do differently so that you can find out if you see yourself in a few or all of these characteristics.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. The Bullied Brain: 7 Ways Bullying Effects Mental Health

2. Bullying Tactics: 9 Subtle Moves Bullies Use to Avoid Detection

3. Bullying and Banter: 9 Differences You Must Know

4. The Effects of Bullying: 17 Negative Results on Victims

5. What Constitutes Bullying and What Doesn’t

6. The 4 Stages of Bullying

teachers bullying teacher in schools

Teachers Bullying Teachers: When a Teacher is the Victim

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Teachers bullying teachers. Sadly, it’s more common than we know. There are many testimonials out there of good teachers, the best of the best, who have told their stories of horrific bullying by other school staff members. Here are the details of what bullied teachers endure.

teachers bullying teachers

Teaching is not only thankless but also dangerous in times like these. In fact, teachers should get hazard pay, maybe even combat pay! With the school climate what it is today, teachers risk being harmed, maimed, also murdered, and many don’t make it to retirement.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn about teachers bullying teachers and the hell they go through at work. Moreover, if you’re a teacher who is enduring this kind of evil, there are things you can do to fight back successfully.

Once you learn about this horrible epidemic, you will have the tools needed to combat the bullying you suffer. Also, if you aren’t a teacher, you will get a glimpse into the life of a bullied teacher.

Teachers bullying teachers

Many teachers have quit and opted for second careers because of the many issues in schools and communities. Can you blame them?

Moreover, teachers get paid a pittance for what they must put up with every day. Moreover, they don’t get the support from parents, principals, and higher school officials they did decades ago.

Also, teacher’s unions are a complete joke! They don’t care about the kids much less the teachers. In my not-so-humble opinion, teacher’s unions are a big money racket and political activist group! I wouldn’t be a teacher if someone offered me triple the salary!

Along with crappy pay, teachers are held responsible for the poor performance and failing grades of their students. Moreover, let’s be real here. Many kids are lazy, and many parents are too busy being the child’s BFF rather than being a parent. They’re to distracted to make their children hit the books.

Therefore, why is this the teacher’s fault?

A teacher’s workload

Teachers also have a truckload of homework themselves. How? You may ask.

Most must grade test papers and assignments at home, on their own time. And many parents can’t buy the necessary school supplies for their children to bring to class. Therefore, it’s the teachers who end up having to dig into their own pockets to provide for these kids.

Couple that with the shoddy pay, and these teachers get a pretty raw deal.

Teachers bullying Teachers:

Teachers Who Suffer Bullying

Many teachers also endure bullying. And not only by their fellow teachers and staff but by students and their parents as well.

Therefore, when it’s the child who bullies the teacher, how’s that teacher supposed to handle it effectively without support from the principal, the school district, and parents?

Many bullied teachers are also bullied by parents.

A lot of kids are disrespectful and unruly these days. Many of today’s parents have an overinflated sense of entitlement.

Therefore, it makes sense that they would raise kids with the same pathetic attitude.

Lots of times, the parents will overlook their child’s behavior at school. Even worse, some even encourage it because they feel that their child is “entitled” act how they want.

And when the teacher calls the child out, the parent feels they transgressed against their kid somehow.

Also, schools and their districts often encourage teachers to give the kid a passing grade even if the student doesn’t earn it. Why?

Because they want to keep the school’s performance ratings up and the government off their backs.

Therefore, if the teacher happens to be an honest person and doesn’t comply, she’s fired.

Teachers bullying teachers:

Honest Teachers’ hands tied.

I’ve both heard and read of instances when the teacher disciplined a student for disruptive behavior. The teacher only made the child leave the classroom and stand in the hall or sent the kid to the principal’s office.

As a result, an angry and hostile parent confronted them later.

Moreover, there are stories out there which tell of incidences when a student failed a test and the teacher gave the kid a bad grade. Mind you, this was a grade the child deserved.

Sadly, an enraged parent stormed into their classroom the next day, demanding to know why. Some parents go so far as to threaten physical harm!

Is it any wonder where bullies get their atrocious behavior from? They learn it from watching their parents and siblings.

Kids, especially those who are bullies, are smarter then you think.

Understand that kids aren’t as clueless as many want to believe, especially kids who bully. Moreover, these kids are often socially intelligent beyond their years, and they pick up on these things. And these things are those that other kids their age often miss.

These children know that these days, teachers can’t do much about their bad behavior. Therefore, they take full advantage of it. It’s just what kids do.

Pushing boundaries to see what you can get away with is only a part of being a kid. Kids do either what their parents allow or aren’t aware of. And again, they imitate what they see at home and what they see peers do.

Consequently, teachers don’t get near the support they should. Is it any wonder there’s a mass shortage of teachers in this country? And I can’t say that I blame most people for not wanting to have a career in teaching.

Teacher on Teacher Bullying:

Unfortunately, Bullying in schools is not only among kids, teachers also bully other teachers.

Teacher on teacher bullying is more common than we realize. Moreover, there are millions of educators who live in fear of confrontation, ridicule, and being defamed in the community.

Moreover, those who endure bullying at work are mostly the best teachers who love children and want to make a difference in their lives.

And sadly, just like in any other case of workplace bullying, other teachers and even principals and school boards bully these teachers out of jealousy and competition.

Many of these bullied educators are people who are well-liked by students and parents. Other school officials hear kids and parents praise the good teacher and immediately envy the poor person.

Realize that bullies, especially workplace bullies, despise competition. In other words, they abhor anyone in the profession who outshines them or steals the spotlight away from them.

Therefore, they retaliate against the star worker because they feel as if this person makes them look less than. Also, they do it to preserve their ego.

Like all bullies, Bullying teachers have big egos.

It takes a special kind of person to be a teacher in today’s world. If you’re one of those brave, caring, and awesome people, know you have my utmost respect.

Know that the hard work and sacrifices you make haven’t gone unnoticed. You are one in a million and though you may not know it, I and so many others salute you!

This post was all about teachers bullying teachers and why they do it so that you can know the intentions behind the bullying if you’re a teacher who suffers workplace bullying.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. What Not to Share at Work When You Suffer Workplace Bullying

2. Bullying Support: 7 Resources You Can Reach Out to

3. Bullying Tactics: 9 Subtle Moves Bullies Use to Avoid Detection

4. Benefits of Setting Boundaries

5. Gaslighting at Work: 5 Surefire Indicators to Watch Out For

baiting definition

Baiting: 5 Ways Bullies Bait You Into a Reaction

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‘Want to know about baiting and the tactics bullies use to bait you into a reaction? Here are all the bully bait-tactics you need to know about.

baiting

Another tactic in the bully’s toolkit is to bait you by provoking you into an emotional reaction so that they can turn everything around on you and make you look like the evil one.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn all about baiting, the purpose of it, and what you can do to protect yourself against it.

Once you learn all about this game-changing information, you will be able to better handle any provocation with class. Also, you have a better chance of exposing your bullies and a lesser chance of getting blamed for someone else’s bad behavior.

This post is all about baiting, how bullies do it, and what you can do to defend against it.

Baiting, Bashing, and Blaming

1. They Bait you by provoking you.

Believe it or not, there is a method to the bully’s madness. Bullies are master life-chess players. They put a lot of forethought into their attacks against you. Always. Here’s how bullies can bully and get away with it.

Baiting

First, your bullies will bait you. They do this by provoking you for a reaction. If you blow it off and refuse to react, they will only intensify and increase the taunts. Albeit slowly and subtly.

Why? You might ask.

Bullies do this to wear you down, over time, until they achieve the reaction they want from you. Understand that bullies are very much aware that everyone has a breaking point. Moreover, they are relentless.

They will also provoke you in front of bystanders and witnesses.

Bashing

For example, your bullies repeatedly provoke you until they push you over your limit. You then react by yelling, telling them off, cursing them out, or punching one of them in the face.

Next, your bullies weaponize your perfectly human and justifiable reaction.

In other words, they will weasel their way into the hearts of bystanders and authority. Moreover, they’ll do it by using superficial charm and charisma to play the victims.

Your bullies will bash you by using your reaction as proof that you’re unhinged. Therefore, they’ll very meticulously make it look as though you’re at fault.

Understand that bullies do this to distract attention away from their bad behavior and project it onto you. Therefore, making you look like the guilty party.

Blaming

Once your bullies have succeeded in turning everyone against you, they entice others to join them in shaming you. Everyone may gang up on you, making statements such as, “Aww! You just need to toughen up!” or “Can’t you take a joke?”

Others may accuse you of “bringing it all on yourself” when in reality, the opposite is true. It is the bullies who have harassed you for months, even years.

You may have tried to handle the bullying calmly and objectively. However, after so long, you only succumbed to exhaustion and reached your limit.

Baiting:

What happens when you report the bullying?

When you report the abuse, staff is likely to blame you and refuse to hold your bullies accountable. Consequently, your bullies will only take this as a green light to continue tormenting you in the future.

Bystanders and witnesses will refuse to help you because they’ll only see you in a negative light. Therefore, you’ll have no other choice but to endure the torment in silence.

Moreover, you’ll eventually clam up because you know that no one will believe you anyway. You’ll know know that your bullies will only punish you for snitching.

And they’ll only further tarnish your already damaged reputation. And why not? By this point, there’s a strong chance that no one will believe her anyway.

Each time you make a report, those who are often in a position to help, will only blow you off. Why? Because they’ll think that the torture you endure is justified.

This will only do more to embolden your bullies, while damaging you.

Moreover, the more brazen your bullies become, the more the bullying will escalate. In other words, the more frequent and intense the attacks will become.

And it continue until the bullying becomes dangerous or even life-threatening. Therefore, the bullying will only end when they kill you, maim you, or you transfer or die by suicide.

Then the bullies will move on to another victim.

What do bullies have to gain from baiting you?

Understand that successful baiting gives bullies feelings of power and control.  Moreover, this gives them a sense of invincibility.

In other words, because they’ve gotten away with abusing you, they now think they’re untouchable.  Your bullies also get to enjoy favor and sympathy from everyone else.

Bullies also use this strategy to strike fear in and silence you. Therefore, it discourages any future attempts at speaking out.

As a result, it insulates the bullies from exposure. As long as you can’t talk, you can’t expose them for the cowardly, sniveling pieces of human filth they really are.

If bullies target you for abuse, you already know too well how it feels to be mistreated and then blamed for your own torment. It’s horrible enough when others constantly bully you. However, it’s much worse when they blame you for the bullying you suffer.

In fact, it can downright devastate you because it leaves you feeling completely powerless!

Again, realize that this is just another weapon bullies use and how they trick people into allowing them to continue with impunity. And it is nothing new! Bullies have always used this method.

Therefore, remember the 3 ‘B’s- Bait, Bash, and Blame. Once you do, you will be better able to explain your situation when you report the harassment. At the same time, expect bullies to retaliate some way or another.

2. Instigation

This type of baiting is indirect and extremely cowardly. In other words, these types of bullies don’t have the guts to be direct or the stomach to get their hands dirty.

Therefore, they do their bullying by instigating a conflict between you and another individual. They then stand back, at a safe distance, and watch from afar. As they watch, they enjoy seeing you get humiliated by someone else.

Moreover, the individual these bullies pit against you probably won’t be the type of person who bullies anyone. In fact, they’ll likely be someone who doesn’t even have a history of conflicts with you.

The person they pit against you will most likely be a stranger, an acquaintance, friend, teacher, or supervisor. Understand that your bullies will do this to divide and conquer.

Baiting:

Divide and Conquer

There are several reasons bullies bait you using instigation:

  • To create a situation where they can gleefully watch as someone else reams you out.
  • For the purpose of turning others against you.
  • To create drama and entertainment
  • They want to parade you in front of an audience
  • To distract attention from their own evil deeds. In other words, if two or more people are too busy fighting and others are too busy watching and getting their kicks, they’re too occupied to pay attention to what your bullies are doing.
  • To isolate you by making you look like the bad guy. The more people the bullies can turn against you, the worse you look, and the less power you have.

Often, when you’re a target of bullying by instigation, the person or people your bullies have pitted against you will start their sentences off as:

  • “Hey! I heard you’re trying to get with my boyfriend!”
  • “Somebody told me that you did…”
  • “I heard you told so-and-so such and such!”
  • “Somebody told me you’re talking smack about me behind me back! How about having the guts to say it to my face!”

Your First Clues of baiting by instigation

If you’re a target of bullying and someone has instigated a conflict between you and someone you don’t usually have trouble with, the first words out of your accuser’s mouth will be,

  • “I heard…”,
  • “Somebody told me…”
  • “It’s going around that…”
    or
  • “It was brought to my attention…”

Those first few little words are your first clues of bullying by instigation, and that one or more of your bullies is trying to pit these people against you.

The Correct Way to Respond

Therefore, if you’re a target of bullying and you’re ever in a situation like this, here are a few comebacks you can’t make to the accuser:

Laugh at the accuser and say one of these,

  • “Really? You ‘heard,’? You’re so gullible you’ll believe anything, won’t you?”
  • “Wow! And you believed that? Boy, are you a moron!”
  • “Gee, you’ll fall for anything, won’t you!”

The trick is to challenge the accuser’s intelligence, then walk away laughing. Your accuser will be stunned, and your bullies, who are surely watching from afar, will be sorely disappointed.

Therefore, always imply that your accuser is a fool for believing the lies, and I guarantee that the person will back down. It’s what worked for me.

How I wish I were this quick in school. But, as an adult, I was better able to defuse it by the above counter statements.

3. Baiting: The Secret Admirer Bait

A bully will use this to bait someone to insult and humiliate the target.
Here’s how it goes:

For example, your bullies and a few classmates or coworkers see you when you’re nearby and within earshot.  If you’re female, your bullies point to a nearby male and say,

“Hey, (your name)! John said he was madly in love with you!”
John then goes on the defensive and says,
“Oh, hell, no! I don’t like that ugly thing!”

Or, he might say, “That whore? No freakin’ way!”

Therefore, by doing this, the bullies slyly bait John into a knee-jerk reaction. And his reaction includes insulting and humiliating you just to drive home the point that he hates your guts.

As a result, you’re hurt and embarrassed and your bullies get their gratification in seeing John humiliate you.

Though the secret admirer bait is mostly used in middle and high school, people have used it on targeted adults in the workplace.

4. The Invitation bait

In this situation, the bullies will, all of a sudden and out of nowhere, become chummy with you. They will pretend to have a change of heart. Therefore, understand that your bullies will do this to bring down your defenses and win your trust.

However, BEWARE!

Why? Because, once they win your trust, the bullies will invite you to a birthday party, cookout, sleepover, kegger, or reunion. They will then set you up for either a physical attack or humiliation.

Furthermore, they may also get you drunk or high, then manipulate you into compromising situations. Again, this is used by both school-aged and adult bullies.

Baiting:

Here’s how to shut these monsters down.

Understand that no one ever becomes true friends overnight. Therefore, if someone who has bullied you suddenly starts to buddy up to you, and it seems to have come out of nowhere, it’s a red flag!

Steer clear!

Also, you’ll know it’s all fake if you pay attention. Why? Because when your bullies try to win over your trust, they will lay it on thick!

They’ll overdo the flattery. Moreover, it will sound so sweet, you’ll want to grab a barf bag. However, remember that bullies are very convincing. If you’re young and still in school, you’re likely to overlook the yuck if you aren’t careful.

So don’t fall for it! Don’t go anywhere with those people. Because once you’re alone with them, you’re at their mercy!

If you’re a kid in school and bullies use the secret admirer bait and trick someone into humiliating you, deal out a good burn for the person they baited into insulting you.

For example, you can say, “No chance. I could never be that desperate, and you could never be that lucky.”

Then keep walking.

Your witty comeback will sting the poor sucker who took the bully’s bait and tried to insult you. But hey! Better them than you. Right?

5. They bait you into explaining yourself.

Understand that anytime you feel you must explain yourself, you do so from a place of powerlessness. Moreover, bullies and their followers will pretend that they don’t understand or they’ll never accept anything you have to say.

Therefore, know that you don’t owe them any explanations. Save the explanations for people who are worthy of them, such as a parent, teacher, or supervisor.

This post was all about baiting, how bullies do it, and how you respond so that you can emerge with strength and power!

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Easy Targets for Bullies: 6 Groups of People Bullies Love to Target

2. Things School Bullies Try to Hide: 13 Things They’re Ashamed Of

3. Never Chase People Who Don’t See Your Worth

4. How to Spot Fake Friends: 7 Proven Tricks to Instantly Out Them

5. How to Spot a Bully: 13 Must-Know Body-Language Examples

bullying support group

Bullying Support: 7 Resources You Can Reach Out to

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Bullying support groups and organizations are life savers for victims of bullying. Therefore, if you or a loved one is suffering from bullying, gaslighting, and abuse, I want you to know that there are people and organizations you can reach out to.

bullying support

When bullies target you at school or in the workplace, a support system can be the difference between suicide and the will to live. I tell you this from experience.

Sadly today, there are people who don’t consider the damage bullying does to victims because most people don’t like to acknowledge it. Many people simply do not want to know that bullying even exists.

Moreover, many victims suffer in silence because they’re either afraid their bullies will retaliate or they’re too ashamed to admit that they’re victims. Another reason is that much of society is still under the misguided belief that bullying is “a right of passage” – a “normal occurrence that all kids go through.”

This is simply not true.

There is nothing normal about it, and no, the majority of kids don’t endure long-term bullying. Only about a third. And even this estimate is probably much higher because much of the bullying people endure goes unreported.

What you will learn:

In this post, you will learn about the bullying support resources available when you have nowhere else to turn.

Once you learn about all these people and groups, you will be better able to get the help you need.

This post is all about the bullying resources available to you so that you can get the help you need to either fight, face, or heal from the bullying. Know that you are not alone and that there are people out there who care.

Bullying Support

Bullying destroys the lives of millions worldwide every year. Moreover, those who haven’t experienced it still hold the belief that bullying is just a normal part of life. Regardless of what they think, bullying is one of the biggest morale killers.

Therefore, you may think that speaking up about it is out of the question.

Truth be known, you’re more than likely afraid that if you do speak up, others will shame you for it. They may tell you to toughen up. And maybe they did when you tried to tell them what was happening to you.

So, you toughened up. You started fighting back and defending yourself, only for others to blame you, accusing you of being the perpetrator.

As a result, the school principal suspended or expelled you. Or, maybe your were a bullied adult in the workplace and your supervisor fired you because you stood up to the bully.

In a nutshell, there still isn’t enough support for victims of bullying even today. How many child,  teen, and adult suicides could we prevent if we simply put the word out that help is available

Moreover, how many could we’ve prevented decades ago. Unfortunately, that’s an answer we’ll never know because those victims aren’t alive to tell their stories today.

I can only speculate that it was more than likely well over half of all suicides and I’m confident in that guess.

Therefore, if you’re a parent or guardian, listen to your child and take steps to support and protect your son, daughter, or grandchild.

If you’re a teacher and a child or teen comes to you and opens up about the bullying they suffer, please do not trivialize their pain nor rebuff them. Reach out to them and give them a listening ear.

Let this precious human being know that you’re there for them.

If you’re a supervisor or manager, please, listen for the sake of not only the target, but for that of your company. Companies lose millions per year as a result of workplace bullying. Therefore, it’s much more profitable to do the right thing than it is to ignore it or to blame the target.

1. Bullying Support Groups and Therapists

There are millions of support groups of other bullying victims and survivors. Many of the leaders of these groups have also endured bullying. Therefore, do research and see if there is one in your area. These groups are so beneficial because you’ll be together with people who’ve had the same experiences.

Moreover, you will be in a safe place to talk about what’s happening to you and get everything off your chest. The best part is that the members of the other group will listen and they will offer moral support. You will be among friends.

Moreover, a therapist will be able to help you. They can be a good source for counseling to repair your self-esteem and overall mental health.

They can also give you tips on how to handle a bully.

2. Martial Arts Schools

Martial Arts school are great because, not only do they teach you how to defend yourself, they also teach you how to think on your feet. Moreover, many MA schools have classes on how to deal with bullies.

The best part is that martial arts also teaches you to have confidence and your self-esteem will skyrocket. Therefore, if it’s feasible for you, think about joining a martial arts class.

Note: Just don’t tell anyone that you’re taking martial arts. You definitely don’t want your bullies to find this out until it’s time. Also, never use your training on a bully until you are completely confident in your MA abilities.

3. Bullying support for Parents

There are also many groups who support parents of bullied schoolchildren. Again, do research, ask around, see if your area has one. These groups not only offer support, they will also teach you how to be there for your child and how to talk to them.

4. trusted Family and friends

Trusted family and friends are also great avenues of support. Moreover, if you know they will listen with love, open up to them and tell them what you’re going through.

This often works when you don’t have the funds for therapy or group sessions.

5. trusted teachers

Notice I said, trusted teachers. Sadly, not all teachers are sympathetic to bullied students. In fact, I’m willing to say that the majority of them aren’t.

However, there are a few who are especially understanding. They’re the teachers that you don’t meet but maybe 1 to 3 times during your school career. Therefore, if you have a trusted teacher that you absolutely love, don’t be afraid to confide in them.

I speak from experience because I had a few teachers I could talk to when I was being bullied. And, let me tell you! They made a huge difference in my life! They are the teachers, I’ll always remember with love!

6. workplace bullying support groups

Yes, there are support groups for bullied adults in the workplace. Also, if you need to see a therapist, they’re also a great resource for support. In many cases, therapists have made all the difference in the lives of many victims.

Therefore, don’t be too ashamed to see one. Remember that it doesn’t mean that you’re coming unglued. Although there is a lot of unfair stigma around seeing a counselor, you shouldn’t concern yourself with what others think.

This is all a part of self-care. Not only should you take care of your body, you should take care of your psychological and emotional well-being as well.

7. anti-bullying attorneys

There are many lawyers who specialize in anti-bullying law. These litigators represent bullied children and their families against schools who fail to protect them against bullies. Moreover, they also represent adults who have had their lives ruined because of workplace bullies.

They file lawsuits against schools, school systems, and companies for any damages done to victims, from lost wages, to medical costs resulting from bullying. They will even help you to recoup any psychological costs and file for punitive damages from schools, companies, and bullies themselves.

Therefore, if you’ve suffer psychological trauma from bullying, don’t hesitate to consult one of these attorneys. Most of them offer a free consultation and they can tell you if you have a case.

Also, some of them will probably be pro-bono attorneys. In other words, you don’t pay fees to them unless they win your case or you get a settlement. Put simpler, if you get nothing, they get nothing.

In Conclusion

Any time people are bullying you every day, for everything, you need all the support you can get. Why? Because bullies are experts at manipulating social hierarchies and turning other people against you. And they do this specifically to whittle down any support you may get.

And why do they prevent anyone from supporting you? Because any support you get is a threat to your bullies’ power over you. Therefore, this is why most bullies are hellbent on turning others against their victims and isolating them.

This is why support groups, therapists, and attorneys who specialize in bullying are popping up all over the country. There is a need for bullying-support and it’s finally available as it should have been years ago.

Therefore, take advantage of these support systems. You’ll be glad you did.

This post was all about the bullying support resources that are available to victims and why you should consider reaching out to them for help.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. 25 Signs of a Toxic Person

2. Benefits of Positive Thinking: 6 Positive Changes You’ll See

3. Knowing Yourself: Why it’s the First Step in Building Confidence

4. Setting Boundaries: 3 Powerful Practices to Hold Your Ground

5. Like vs Respect: What’s the Difference?

open letter to bullies at school

Open Letter to Bullies: From One who Overcame

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Here is an open letter to bullies from a victim who survived and overcame them. These are the words victims want to say to their bullies someday.

open letter to bullies

open letter to bullies

Sometimes it’s does victims good to write an open letter to bullies… without sending it, of course. Here is what millions of victims around the world would love to say to their bullies.

In this post, you will read an open letter to bullies so that  you can get a sneak peek into the mind of every victim of bullying.

Once you learn what victims of bullying really think, not only will you relate to these words if you’ve even been bullies, but you will understand that you aren’t alone in your fight.

This post is all about the open letter to bullies and what victims think but almost never get the chance to say.

Open Letter to Bullies

Much to your chagrin, I’m no longer the naive kid of yesterday, but the wise adult of today. And the beauty of getting older is the wisdom you store up and the realization that you’re perfect just the way you are and always have been.

Moreover, you realize that you never needed certain people in the first place and that some people don’t belong in your life.

Another great thing about getting older is that you become completely secure and comfortable in your own skin. You can speak your mind no matter who sees and hears it because you could care less what others think.

Who are you, anyway? Who are any of you to think you can define anyone?

I’m the only one who can decide who I am because I’m the only one who has that kind of power.

So many people tell me things, and it is people you’d never expect. ‘You know. Those who tell you stories of people you could care less about and regardless of whether you want to hear them? Yeah, those types.

Believe it or not, some of them are people you think are your friends.

Oh, yeah! They stop me in places like the supermarket and the gas station, or when I’m just passing through. They tell me that many of you keep up with my social media posts and regularly read my blog. Yep. I know all about it.

So, I don’t doubt that you’ll read this blog post too. Therefore, I’m writing this to help you indulge yourselves. Because you only expose yourselves and your obsession.

Open Letter to Bullies:

Most people are blessings, you, on the other hand, were only lessons.

To be real, I could care less about what or how any of you are doing. Because you were only people God was teaching me to look out for. In other words, you were lessons, not blessings. And the things I take away from having the displeasure of even knowing you are these:

That if I can survive your obsessive bullying and mobbing for six long years, then I can survive anything. Oh, yes! You most certainly showed me my own strength, resilience, and determination.

You showed me the type of people I don’t want in my life and who aren’t good enough to be in it. Moreover, you showed me the type of person I never want to become.

You gave me a much better appreciation for the real friends I have today. Also, you gave me a thick skin and a fighting spirit.

You gave me clarity- clarity of what I want and what I will and will not tolerate. Additionally, you gave me the confidence to know that hard times are only temporary and they will eventually pass.

Your degradation gave me the drive and determination to have what I want out of life. And your bullying was the motivation I needed to work hard and keep going after it until I reach my dreams.

You gave me the desire not only to learn and improve my knowledge of bullying.  You also gave me the will to use what you tried to do to protect other innocents from people like you.

Open Letter to Bullies:

You didn’t destroy me, you only motivated me.

Also, you gave me the ability to spot a liar and fake a mile away… in the dark! It’s funny how dealing with the likes of you can give one the ability to point out other liars and fakes without ever meeting them.

Therefore, I survived because my determination to remain standing superseded your desperation to tear me down. I overcame because the fire inside me burned hotter and brighter than the fire you ignited around my feet.

My efforts to reach happiness and success outmatched your efforts to keep me miserable and in failure. Moreover, my strength to keep going was much bigger than the force you expended to stop me.

I prevailed against odds that would’ve been overwhelming for the likes of you.

I graduated because I kept pushing myself and went on living through enormous threats and terrible circumstances. These were pressures under which you wusses would’ve dropped out of school.

Most people would’ve hated you. But I don’t. ‘You know why?

Because hate is a waste of energy, I’d rather spend my energy focusing on my goals. I’m too busy working on myself and pursuing my own agenda to hate on anyone. I make it about me. That’s right, all about me, my family, and my goals.

You only made a winner out of me.

I’ll give you this much. For a while, you had me down and even managed to keep me there during school. I forgot who I was. Or maybe without meaning to, I allowed you to take the knowledge of who I was from me. You even succeeded in making me out to be the troubled one.

And while you bullied, harassed, name-called, slut-shamed, shoved, tripped, jumped, beat, choked, and kicked me- even threatened my life with a blade on two different occasions; I was told to ignore it, to toughen up, and not to snitch.

Even worse, you had the chutzpah to tell me to be thankful that your abuse wasn’t worse and to just take it in silence.

Open Letter to Bullies:

But it didn’t last.

You couldn’t keep me in your little box. And once I slipped through your fingers, I began to flourish.

In the end, you only made a fighter and a winner out of me. You ended up making me more determined to love myself.  The girl who used to finish last now finishes first. Why? Because I put myself first.

When you all attacked me, others judged me unfairly and brutalized me- bystanders and even those I thought were friends. And that was worse because the betrayal was more devastating than the bullying and mobbing itself.

Oh, yes. I’ll admit. People, even a few school staff, only scoffed when I went to them for help. They sneered when I tried to explain to them the hell you were putting me through.

When I needed a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on, they only ignored me. When I needed someone to care, understand, and make sense of what was happening, they abandoned me.

Therefore, for a while, you won.

I even went against my better judgment and asked many of you why. Not even you could give me a straight answer.  This should’ve been my first clue that none of you knew why you acted so ignorant. Chances are, you still don’t.

Though I was only a kid and didn’t realize it back then, it’s only proof that you had no excuse nor justification for the simple way you behaved. And the most astonishing part was you didn’t need any evidence of any wrongdoing to launch your petty attacks.

Open Letter to Bullies:

I’m No Longer Afraid of You.

The fact that no one cared about the truth nor even asked is only further proof that you all bullied and mobbed out of pure spite, ignorance, and stupidity.

 Furthermore, the same three afflictions are why a few teachers, who followed your lead, also bullied me to the point of considering a lawsuit.

A few even escalated the vitriol because they saw me as a threat.

Those few so-called teachers were afraid that I would file citing discrimination based on a perceived disability. Why? Because they found out about the daily journals, I kept each school day, documenting everything!

And I’ll never forget their reactions (and those of some of you) each time you all saw me writing. Therefore, it’s hilarious when I look back now because some of you seemed pretty desperate and afraid!

And the few spineless, undeserving losers that I was a fool to call friends? (Scoff) They didn’t have the stones to have my back, which means that I didn’t have any friends at OHS. So, should it matter to any of you if I speak up or stay silent?

You’re entitled to your opinion but not my respect, you never earned that.

I can be honest about it now because none of you are anyone I need to impress. Moreover, I surely don’t owe any of you anything- not even respect because you did nothing to earn it from me. So, you get none here.

And the few rotten apples who called themselves teachers? I now realize they only fell for your lies and smear campaigns out of sheer stupidity.

Those teachers, who were supposed to be adults, only allowed themselves to regress into children by joining you in your evil and spiteful attacks. Therefore, they weren’t smart at all, they were only educated idiots.

Open Letter to Bullies:

Dropping names isn’t my style.

Far be it from me to put anyone’s names out there because I won’t go that low. It’s not my style. However, I already suspect you know which teachers I’m referring to. Moreover, you know who you are. So, I’ll leave it there.

With you, the excuse was always, “I’m afraid of her!” or “She’s cr4zy!” However, the reality was that I was much more afraid of you than you ever were of me. But deep down, most of you were already aware of it.

Oh yeah. I know and you do too. I knew it back then; only I was too afraid to voice it because I knew what most of you would do if I opened my mouth. Oh, yes. You got that one for free. I was afraid of you all back then.

But the difference between then and now is that I’m not anymore. Now that I’m a grown woman, I’m not afraid of any of you. I don’t have to see any of you. You can’t touch me now. And you’re exactly where you belong- out of my life.

The Beauty of Age

It’s funny how age tends to embolden you and fill you with confidence. Moreover, you get less afraid as you grow older.

Therefore, I can say pretty much anything I want. And I say it loud and proud. Even better, I make speaking out about people like you my livelihood, my bread and butter, and my niche!

Therefore, in bullying me, you were only paving my path for me. In trying to instill fear, you only encouraged me. In trying to keep me down, you only uplifted me! And in turning others against me back then, you ultimately made me truer friends now than I ever could’ve imagined back then.

Now, you must ask yourselves what good all that meanness did in the long run. Also, ask yourselves where it got you. Because it certainly didn’t help any of you reach the top!

It didn’t get you fame or fortune because none of you ever went anywhere.

Open Letter to bullies:

Through Your resentment, you only expose your guilt.

And now, thanks to the book, more and more people know the truth. They know what really happened- more people than you ever thought would find out back when we were in school.

Even though I wasn’t out for revenge when I wrote the book, and therefore, had the common decency to conceal your real names and omit certain events that would’ve called you out for the devils you are, I consciously chose not to identify your sorry selves.

So, go ahead, show some chutzpah. Get offended, get angry, talk smack, I don’t care.

‘You see? The thing you don’t realize is that by getting your noses out of joint about the book, you unwittingly called yourselves out! By opening your mouths, you exposed yourselves as I already knew you would! So, who’s the “retard” now?

Again, I concealed your real names, which is more than what you deserved. Nevertheless, you get your emotions so stirred up you end up telling off on yourselves! So, I ask again. Who are the foolish ones?

‘You see? Here’s the thing. If someone had written a book about me and exposed me and all my dirt, but changed the name? I would’ve been smart enough to zip my lips and not to let on that the book was about me!

Moreover, I would’ve put on a poker face because I wouldn’t want anyone to know that I was one of the idiots who acted so immature back in the day. Only a fool would have let on that they were one of the brutes that mistreated a person so horribly. Especially if that person was powerless to defend herself!

Open Letter to Bullies:

Bullies no longer get the glory they once did.

And here another newsflash. Today, bullies don’t get the glory they got back in the ‘1980s. People look down on bullies nowadays! Why? Because they see them for the scared little cowards they truly are.

And let me address the immature, psychop4thic adults who’ve sent me threatening and nasty messages off and on for the first three years after the book was launched.

Heads up, folks!  I’ve both screenshotted and saved them all “just in case.” And I’ve already exposed one woman. Don’t be the next person I plaster all over the internet. Because I will, in essence, parade you naked before the eyes of the entire free world.

Lastly, if anything happens to me, anything at all, that book will be seen as a possible motive. Many, many people will come around, asking questions. And who do you think they’ll come to?

Who do you think those people will want answers from? Are you willing to take that risk?

The entire class will be under a microscope, and everyone will know what the possibilities are. But that’s all it takes. Isn’t it? And you’d know that better than anyone, wouldn’t you?

All it takes is one accusation. One offhand comment. One motive. The slightest suspicion. That’s it.

In closing, I want to thank you for making me the woman I am today.

This post was an open letter to bullies so that you can discover what most victims of bullying think. Also, you can have the courage to write your own if people bully you.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Bullying and Narcissism: 7 Secret Powers of Narcopathic Bullies 

2. How Bullies Gain Power: 9 Astonishing Ways They Do It.

3. Why People Bully: 11 Benefits Bullies Reap at Your Expense

4. The Explaining Trap: 3 Reasons Bullies Set It and How to Respond

5. Secrets Bullies Hope You Never Find Out: 11 Must-Know Facts about Bullies

6. Bullies in School: 5 Ways They Tell Off on Themselves Without Realizing It

how bullies gain power at work

How Bullies Gain Power: 9 Astonishing Ways They Do It.

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‘Want to know how bullies gain power so that you can use it to your advantage and better protect yourself?

how bullies gain power

If you’ve ever been a victim of bullying, you’ve probably wondered how bullies magically do bad stuff, convince authority to side with them, and get away with it. Moreover, you’ve wondered how they seem to advance quickly and bypass any rules.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn exactly how bullies gain power so that you can call it out and protect yourself.

Once you learn all about these details, you will be able to better understand this dynamic, prepare yourself, and use it to your advantage.

This post will give you the answers to how bullies gain power so that you can know what to expect with bullies and defend yourself against them.

How bullies gain power

First, lets talk about the reasons bullies crave power.

Why Bullies Crave Power

Simple. Because it feels good.

“Power is not what you have. It’s what the enemy thinks you have.”  ~ Saul D. Alinsky (Rules for Radicals)

Bullies crave power like a kid craves candy, even if that power is only an illusion. And, let’s face it, power tastes delicious.

Power feels good because it gets people prestige, street cred, notoriety, and popularity. Moreover, power has a way of cushioning the ego. As we already know, most bullies lives are meaningless outside the bullying environment (school, work, community, etc.).

Do you ever wonder where bullies get their power and how they seem to get away with their evil actions?

1. They’re notorious suck-ups.

Bullies have a knack for appealing to those in authority and winning them over to their side. Understand that bullies are very convincing liars and they use charm and allure to disarm authority.

Also, most people in authority love it when people suck up to them and bullies instinctively know this. And because bullies kiss the right butts, supervisors, managers, and HR are more likely to overlook it.

This makes it easier for them to thumb rides on others’ coattails.

Moreover, in school, bullies often suck up to teachers, principals, and school officials. Moreover, many impress them with academics and being on the sports teams and in clubs.

Add that to their parents having connections with town and city big-shots, and they have the freedom to bully at will.

2. How Bullies Gain POwer:

Taking credit for other people’s work and ideas.

Bullies are, in many cases, the most clueless and incompetent employees in a company. I’ve known many who didn’t have the sense to come in out of the rain.

However, they somehow convinced supervisors and managers that they were the brightest of the bunch. Also, the bullies were the ones who always seem to get all the promotions and bonuses.

It turned out that these creeps were taking credit for the works and ideas of others. And when I discovered this, it hit me. This is why incompetent bullies are so successful at concealing their stupidity?

Additionally, bullies undermine the accomplishments and successes of other employees. Moreover, they talk over them to keep them from speaking and deride coworkers they view as threats.

Is it any wonder they’re able to get away with their garbage and worse, rewarded for it?
The sooner we get the word out and bust these predators, the more we’ll know what to look for in cases such as these.

3. Bullies are very convincing liars.

Bullies have been lying and covering up bad behavior all of their lives. Moreover, they’ve done it for long enough that they have learned what works and what doesn’t.

Therefore, they’re master manipulators who are skilled in the arts of deception.

Also, bullies are also very good at rationalizing and justifying their atrocious behavior. They are wordsmiths and con artists, who use charm to deceive those in authority. This brings us to number four.

4. How Bullies Gain Power:

Bullies are charming to the right people.

In other words, as mentioned in number 1, they kiss ass. But here’s another thing to consider. Bullies can weaponize this charm against their victims.

How?

Again, most bullies seem to emit an oozing charm. Because of this, they have ways of winning people over and making them their allies.

Therefore, with their good name, the bully has everyone (except the victim) fooled. For example, let’s look at the seemingly sweet, innocent girl who bullies another girl who threatens her position in a school.

Others want to be like her. She seems like a winner. Everyone loves her and envies her seemingly charmed life.

The bullied girl reports her. However, others just can’t believe that “this sweet, innocent, pretty little girl” would harm a fly.

Here’s another example:

Take a look at the outgoing guy that everyone loves.

He seemingly comes from good family. He’s the star of the football team, has good college prospects, and his future looks bright. However, he bullies a smaller boy and beats him badly enough to send him to the hospital. All because the boy is smaller!

The bullied boys’ parents press charges. But sadly, no one believes that this “fine young man” would ever beat up a smaller boy unless he was provoked.

5. How Bullies Gain POwer:

Having many friends who cherish them.

Therefore, even if these friends did witness them undertake any wrongdoing, they will act as if they didn’t see anything. In other words, they will cover-up for the bully out of loyalty and place the blame on the target.

6. There is strength in numbers.

Understand that most bullies attack in groups, or more appropriately, mobs. Being in a mob gives people tremendous power and bullies know it. Therefore, people in large numbers wield a cumulative power that packs a mighty punch.

This can be overwhelming even for the greatest, toughest, strongest, most intelligent individuals. To put it plainly, if enough people actively hate a certain person, that person is powerless. And this stands, no matter how strong, smart, beautiful, or easy-going they may be.

In other words, if enough people are against you, you don’t have a chance in hell.

However, know this. Individually, most bullies don’t have a life. In other words, they need the mob to prop them up. So, the power they get from being a part of a mob adds “meaning” to their lives that they could never get by any other means. Power is what gives bullies a cause and a purpose in life.

Moreover,  in a group, they can bully a target, lose themselves in the bullying, and get a degree of anonymity.

Therefore, bullies are much safer in the group. The group shields each bully from taking any responsibility for their appalling behavior. Groups provide protection from exposure and personal consequences.

How Bullies Gain Power: Each Individual member does so from the group

So, how do you fight back against a mob?

One way is to call out one or two of their members by their names and tell them to “get a grip,” “knock it off,” or “calm down.”

It’s true. I recently read this in a book about survival and it makes perfect sense. Anytime you call out a few members of a mob by their names, it brings them back to themselves by personalizing them.

What you’re doing is basically, separating them from the mob when you loudly call out their name. How I wish I’d known this earlier in life.

7. How Bullies Gain Power:

They use projection.

Bullies project all their faults and shortcomings onto their victims. In other words, they switch the roles and paint the victim as the instigator and themselves the innocent victim who was only defending themselves.

However, when that doesn’t work and they do face accountability for their evil actions, they often cry and feign victim-hood. This tactic is usually employed by female bullies, who also use feminine charm to deceive.

8. They use gaslighting.

In other words, they add their own spin to make you feel like the villain. Your bullies may lay guilt trips on you trying to convince you that you had it coming.

Also, they may try to tell you that the abuse is just your imagination. They may even tell others who will listen that you’re mentally unhinged to discredit you.

However, you must realize that bullies are masters at this. Don’t allow them to gaslight you! Don’t fall for their BS!

9. They use intimidation and fear tactics.

Bullies may threaten you with social consequences to keep you quiet. Also, they may even threaten physical violence. Moreover, they may threaten your friends or family members if you don’t comply with their wishes.

Therefore, it’s wise to pick and choose your battles. In other words, if you know the bully to be a blowhard, then don’t fall for this. However, if the bully is known to harm others’ especially go after friends and family of their victims, defend yourself with caution.

The sooner you learn all about these human predators, the more you’ll know what to look for and how to protect yourself and other innocent victims. Then, you can find ways to use your bullies’ antics as your own power.

This post was about how bullies gain power and how to recognize each power play.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Setting Boundaries: 3 Powerful Practices to Hold Your Ground

2. Enforcing Personal Boundaries: 7 Powerful Strategies

3. How to Disarm a Bully: 13 Clever Comebacks that Work Wonders

4. Non Verbal Bullying: Hostile Body Language Head to Toe

5. How to Spot a Bully: 13 Must-Know Body-Language Examples