‘Want to know what the guilty conscience does to bullies? Here are all the ways bullies act when you finally speak out.
Have you noticed that whenever you speak out against bullying, the guilty parties always come after you and bark the loudest?
In this post, you will learn all about the guilty conscience and all the ways bullies act when you prick at their conscience by speaking out.
Once you learn all about this vital information, you will know what to expect when you expose their behavior. Even better, you will realize where it comes from when your bullies act out.
This post is all about the guilty conscience, so that you will feel less fearful of speaking out against bullying.
The Guilty Conscience
Maybe you tell your story of the bullying and abuse that you, yourself, suffered in the past and how you’ve since overcome it.
Then, BOOM! Many haters emerge from the woodwork. They latch on and start screaming, cursing, and accusing you of everything under the sun.
Some of your old bullies may call you ugly names and threaten you. Their families and friends may even come for you on the internet. This happened to me after I published FVTV.
However, I knew where the behavior came from, so it did not faze me. If this has happened to you, realize that their behavior only comes from desperation.
Bullies with Guilty Consciences
The guilty dogs always bark the loudest. They will be the ones who get offended and engage in yelling, cursing, and throwing tantrums.
The very ones who’ve bullied and abused you in the past will come out in droves and attack you. See this as a given.
Additionally, you don’t have to call these people out by name to put them on the defensive. Why? Because knowing that you’re speaking out will make them very afraid. In fact, some will panic.
More than anything, it eats at their conscience! You don’t have to expose them necessarily. All you’ve got to do is say anything that pricks at their sense of guilt, and they go bonkers.
The Guilty Conscience:
you may also trigger People who haven’t met you or had anything to do with what happened to you.
You may also trigger strangers who may not know you or have anything to do with what was done to you. What matters is that you delivered a massive blow to their conscience!
Even worse, you made them feel dirty! And that alone drives people up the wall.
Though they may not necessarily have bullied and abused you, they may have done so to someone else. And hearing you talk about your experiences made you a reminder to them.
You caused them to think of the abuse they have inflicted on others in the past. Ouch!
It’s subconscious. They don’t realize it, and probably couldn’t explain it. All they know is that your story is rubbing them the wrong way and causing them a lot of anxiety.
This is the reason they freak out and flip their wigs.
The behavior of a guilty person is scary.
It’s happened to me. I’ve seen it up close. And believe you me, these folks become downright scary! Because when they lose it, their eyes seem to jump out at you. And they snarl when they yell at you. These people really come unglued!
But you must see their behavior for what it is, a sign of buried guilt. Understand that they are only revealing themselves. They’re ripping their own masks off and don’t realize they’re doing it.
Why would someone get so irate and have a complete meltdown if you weren’t stepping on their toes? If they didn’t feel that somehow, some way, you were talking about them, then why would they fly off the handle?
Really think about it. Pastors of churches often experience this phenomenon. During Sunday service, they’ll preach on a certain subject, then a few church members get angry over it and give him a hard time after the service is over.
My point is that if they knew they weren’t guilty of anything, they’d automatically know that the conversation wasn’t about them. Therefore, they wouldn’t care.
Remember that the people who get offended are the guilty ones. You can bet that they have, at some time, bullied you or another innocent person. Anger is revealing.
The Guilty Conscience:
4 Most Common Things Bullies and Abusers Do When You Finally Speak Out About Their Abuse
When you expose your bullies and their abusive behavior, you put them on high alert. You put them in defense mode, and they will do one, some, or all of four things:
1. Lash out at you.
This is, perhaps, the most revealing. Many bullies and abusers will go into a tirade. They’ll scream and yell at you. Also, they’ll curse you out and call you the ugliest names- everything but a child of God.
I know it’s difficult, but don’t panic and don’t be afraid. See it for what it is- you just forced them to reveal their true colors.
Why? Because when your former bullies become enraged and attack you, that’s when you know you’ve busted them. Or, more appropriately, you’ve forced them to bust themselves! So, yay for you!
Remember the warplane analogy. When a warplane is right over the target, that’s when they get the most flack. It’s the same when you call out bullying. The guilty people will attack you the worst.
2. Deny their abuse, and sometimes to your face.
Lots of times, bullies and abusers may confront you either calmly or aggressively. They will claim they never bullied or mistreated you.
Also, they may even make subtle hints that you must have “everything misconstrued.” Again, no matter how calmly or subtly they do it, this is a form of gaslighting. And it reveals a great deal about their character.
3. The Guilty Conscience:
Defame you.
The day you see their bullying and abuse for what it is is the day bullies lose control over you. If these people can no longer control you, they will control your image in the eyes of others.
They will tell everyone who will listen what a lowdown piece of garbage you are. They will spread lies and rumors. And they will project their behavior.
But, as difficult as it may be, don’t let it faze you. Realize that they’re panicking. Your bullies are in a mad rush to do some damage control.
Most of the time, your former bullies and abusers will tell others that you’re “cray-cray.” They’ll make it seem that you’re having some mental episode.
Again, they’re only revealing their true colors. Why? Because if you weren’t telling the truth, they wouldn’t care. Therefore, they wouldn’t react so desperately.
So, always see this as an admission of guilt. And realize that they fear that word about their true nature might get around and cause them to lose face.
4. 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.
Why? Because if they avoid you, you don’t have to worry about them bullying you again. They know they’ve been found out and that word of their abuse is already circulating.
So, the last thing they want to do is anything that even has a slight possibility of making them look guilty. They fear their reputations are already on shaky ground.
These people are cowards, that much is true. However, they’re making the most brilliant move by simply staying away from you. In fact, they won’t even mention your name.
The Guilty Conscience:
You must still watch out for even those who avoid you.
Be advised that not all people who avoid you will stay away from you for long. They may stay away long enough for things to cool off.
Moreover, they just might be secretly plotting revenge against you for daring to open your mouth. Different bullies and abusers react in various ways.
You must realize that bullies and abusers, even those who are formerly so, count on your silence. And they detest, or more appropriately, fear being exposed.
Exposure is the worst thing that could happen to them. Why? Because it places them at risk of losing respect in the community. And there’s a possibility that others will see them for the monsters they are.
Bullies have an image to maintain.
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. 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.” Also, your bullies may accuse you of bringing up old stuff. Understand that any time people make these statements, their goal is to shut you up.
The Guilty Conscience:
Other Goals Your Bullies may have
- 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.
- To minimize any backlash they might receive.
Again, don’t be afraid. Instead, see it as they’re unwittingly revealing themselves and let them do it. Let them launch their personal attacks.
In Closing
Before I close, I’d like to make another huge point:
When you speak out about your bullies and their abuse, you force them to explain themselves. Anyone who must explain and justify themselves or their behavior is never in a powerful position.
By forcing your bullies to explain themselves, you automatically turn the tables and leave the bullies in a vulnerable and subordinate position.
In forcing the bully to explain their past or present behavior, you instantly strip away their power. Why? Because power never explains itself. It doesn’t have to.
By speaking out, you put your bullies in a weakened and subordinate position.
Therefore, don’t allow them to silence you. Keep speaking out, no matter what they do. Because when you continue to tell your story, you keep them on the defensive. Therefore, they will only continue to out themselves.
This post is all about the guilty conscience so that you can prepare yourself for your bullies’ reactions and know what’s behind them.
Related posts you’ll enjoy:
1. Speaking Out Against Bullying: 5 Ways Bullies React When You Speak Up
2. Speaking Up About Bullying: Be Prepared for These 8 Responses
3. Confronting Bullying: 4 Things Bullies Do When You Speak Out
4. 5 Things to Never Do with a Bully
5. You Don’t Have to Explain Yourself: 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t