They didn’t really say the most hurtful things like she did, but they didn’t stop her. They were all closely related to each other, cousins. So they definitely had her back. I remember boys fighting back and telling the bully girl she, herself, was ugly so she ought to stop saying it to them. This only made her rage more.

This thread got me thinking back on this more. I may have ran out of the classroom and went to cry in the bathroom. I didn’t remember having a crying meltdown in front of the other kids. But now I do vaguely have a memory of crying in the bathroom and feeling so ashamed to have to go back to class having obviously cried.

I had suppressed that memory because it was really traumatic for me.

No teachers said anything, and I didn’t have a relationship with my father where I would have talked about this to him. I have no memory of bringing this up with anyone besides my mother.

I’m surprised she did nothing because she would go to school to complain about other things. She was angry that my teacher kept me after school because my handwriting was so bad and he did it to punish me and make me practice. She fought with him about it and then he really hated me. I got stuck with that teacher who hated me for two years.

I really didn’t have good memories from my elementary school years. School experience and friends got better for me after that.

That bullying experience had really stuck with me. Since you pointed out that the girl was feeling low self esteem herself about her not being as pretty as the others, and taking it out on the rest of us, I am feeling much better about it.

I guess I was feeling there was something defective about me and that’s why I got picked on. No, I think I was just an easy target for a girl to use projection on.

How do you feel about your bullying experiences today?