Were/are you ever picked on or bullied in high school?

[Cereal~Killer]

I was the shy type. Kept to myself. I guess people saw me as an easy target. I was never actually bullied, in the sense of being beat up. People just liked to pick on me sometimes. A guy that once sat behind me would always flick my ear while another dude sitting next to us would just laugh. A couple people would sometimes look at me and laugh, I guess because I was a loner. Didn't happen very often, though. But looking back at it now, it kind of bothers me that I didn't do anything to stand up for myself. There were a few good people who would stick up for me, though.

[Judge Magistrate]

No, I was part of alot of sports teams, that made sure I wasn't bothered. I suppose one thing that I was picked on a little for was that I didn't have a girlfriend through high school. I liked a girl but I never had the guts to talk to her.

[Michael Swayne]

Was I ever bullied? Not so far as to want to kill myself. My guy classmates had the tendency to find stupid names to call other classmates. For example, there was Clifford (for the guy that wore a red shirt on the first day of school), Joe Dirt (me- I didn't have Joe's hairstyle, but was long nonetheless), and Fruitcake (for the guy that got stuck with the name because the guys didn't know what else to call him).

There were times in school where my sexuality came into question. The seemingly endless volley of "faggot" got to me a little.

But after a few weeks I realized something. These people had nothing better to do at school than make their classmates feel bad. School was where I thrived. I got to school early and stayed late every day just to better myself.

I rose above the slur of taunts and whatnot by becoming the President of National Honor Society, Treasurer and Secretary of Student Council, Newspaper Editor, Quiz Bowl Captain for three years, a State Award Winner in Mathematics, Science, and Spanish, Salutatorian of my class, and a slew of other honors and awards.

The people that bullied me would always realize that I make a better friend than a target. The more stubborn ones, where are they now? Pumping gas or serving me french fries, while I work at the most prestigious newspaper in the county as both a writer and carrier.

The thing to do is rise above the adversity. You first need to realize that these people are just insecure about something in their own lives. They make fun of you because it makes them feel big and bad and tough. Really they are just showing their potential in the real world. They spend too much time making others feel bad, and then in the future they end up working for you.

[Asectic]

I find what Mike said about how bullies pick on others to make themselves feel better about themselves is true.

It's funny though. I recently had a talk about bullying at our church last Sunday. I heard of cases where people are either picked on, physical bullied sometimes, and even on the Internet. This one guy, who was two years younger than me must have been bullied at school himself. For one thing, he never stayed quiet and always talked. He kept on insisting that if all else failed, just learn martial arts to defend yourselfs against the bully. Now, I'm sure that some people may need it for their own benefits but it was odd to see that guy saying it as if the victim had no other option against this issue. Which made me wonder at the end how serious his case was.

Anyways. Like Cereal I tended to be shy during my whole elementary and middle school experience. I was four years old when I immigrated to Canada so the whole concept of learning English and talking to people who looked completly different scared me. Before I knew it, when I was able to communicate with them I found myself intentionally avoiding people. Scared that they might remember the timid me then. Allthough I was never bullied to the point where people hit me, I do remember where in the first grade I was picked on by these three tall-looking third graders. Whenever I was around them I always them I seemed to cry loudly.

When I look back at it somtimes, I can't help notice whether I was crying because I was scared or because they really did pick on me. But in my mind they were those typical "bullies", intentionally would be teasing others and such.

[Josh_R]

I was bullied all throughout middle school, once I got to high school I started playing sports, and getting bigger. No one wants to f*ck with the 260 pound starting line backer haha. I have no respect for bullies it pisses me off when I see people getting bullied. My little brother had some bullies that were messing with him quite often. I taught him a few boxing techniques, and needless to say they don't f*ck with him anymore.

[Maridia]

Nope. I had a small class. A little over 100. But I knew enough kids from every group where nobody gave me a hard time.

[Lily]

Nah, I think theres always the people that like to test the water, especially when you're new there (I moved a few times so had to start over a couple of times), see how you react. But Ive always had too much of a big gob and never been the shy retiring type to ever get sucessfully bullied, Ive always tended to settle in really well wherever Ive ended up. I did have a slight issue with a job i started once after school though, there were two girls who knew each other, same age as me, so whenever we had to do summat together it was a bit of a nightmare, but its not like id cry myself too sleep over people i neither know nor give two hoots about when i have my own friends anyway, it was just deep breath and carry on kinda thing

[Xanatos]

First few years of elementary were rough, nothing physical, although I did start few fights with kids who would tease me for being poor. It got better eventually, though I had to move out where I was teased for being a new kid.

It was a different story in highschool though, no one even dared to look at me mean let alone tease me, all thanks to few , gently put, psychotic friends.

[Pete]

Nah I was never bullied in high school. I knew most people in my grade, and most of them knew me. I was pretty well liked, and for the people who had a problem with me, I didn't really give a crap. I was kind of on everyone's radar and then under the radar at the same time.

I got picked on a bit when I was in grade school, cause I was kinda fat. I got into a fair amount of fights because of it. And now I'm the physical specimen that I am today.

[Calvan]

Throughout middle school I was picked on for, Of all things playing Final Fantasy.

Then when i got into highschool well lets just say i would come home with a black eye regularly.

[Pete]

Throughout middle school I was picked on for, Of all things playing Final Fantasy.

Then when i got into highschool well lets just say i would come home with a black eye regularly.

How the hell did you get picked on for playing FF? Were you going to school dressed up like the characters?

[Lily]

I dont think anyone would have bat an eyelid if i went in school dressed as some character everyone accepted that i was a weirdo

[Josh_R]

How the hell did you get picked on for playing FF? Were you going to school dressed up like the characters?

I saw that, and thought the same thing man. All of my buddies on the football team and shit loved games like Final Fantasy. If someone f*cks with you for playing FF then they sir have awful taste in video games.

[Rocky]

Haha well I got hazed a little bit back when I was a frosh but it wasnt bad at all, just typical upperclassman stuff. But after I went through the soccer initiaton phase, it didn't really ever happen again lol. But otherwise like Josh, my school was really small and my graduating class was like only 90 something people, so everyone pretty much knew everyone, and I was well respected among everyone.

[Joe]

I got my ass kicked/pushed around at least once a year from 4th-9th grade, I think I skipped a year or two in all that, but a few years I got beat up twice, soooo yeah.

Middle school and early high school was the worst. Apparently southern redneck schools don't take too kindly to pasty white nerds who had a moderate back problem/hunch.

Aww yeah, now I don't get beat up at all, and stare down the people who give me weird looks. I guess because I'm hardcore like that?

[Firefly]

My elementary and middle school years...I never got bullied,mainly because I never talked...at all. My freshman year,I still wasn't bullied..but I would get called a name or two. This year(my Sophomore year),I have 'friend' who does nothing but punch the living crap out of arms,make fun of me,talk about me behind my back,call me names,etc. The reason why I call her a 'friend' is because my schedule is so jacked up at school,I have no friends or anyone to talk to in any of my classes..so I am stuck with this shemale that me and my old friends would call a 'friend'. She does this stuff to me because I think she sees me as an easy target,a girl who keeps her mouth shut most of the time..and rarely sticks up for herself *hangs head in shame*.. Other than my 'friend',no one else bothers me except for an occasional guy who stops by my locker to aggravate me (in a playful way)...

[Unknown Entity]

Primary school was the worst for me. Seven years of complete bullshit. I was excluded from pretty much everything by my classmates, my "friends" changed almost weekly, and I could never be myself. I never really knew why other than because of my physical appearance (I was a little bit of a tomboy, and I was called "square head" a lot by the bullies for having an apparent square shaped head o.O), and bookworm-ishness (I loved reading). Even my final year teacher joined in now and then. ¬¬

Secondary school was way better for me. I made friends, and after one fight I had, I wasn't really bothered again. That was until I started hanging out with my now best friend who's bisexual, and at an all girls school, that's considered lowest of the low (imo, it's considered pretty hot lol). A few rumours went around, but I didn't really care because she didn't care. Win.

At college, nothing happened, and everyone was my friend. There was a day or two argument/fight I had with a friend over my relationship that they viewed as "disgusting", but I wouldn't call that being bullied. Just some people can be rather closed minded and arrogant of someone's happiness.

[Robbo]

Yeah to clarify you could be Captain of the football team in a British school and be dating the hottest girl in the year you would still get the piss taken out of you, although most of it was friendly banter with me that sometimes i took the wrong way or someone else took the wrong way, never actually had a fight in the school though. One guy tried bullying me at one point i laugh now because he has started hanging around in the large congregation of teenagers i do but he's never had the balls to speak to me, or he doesen't remember me.

Anywhoo basically he got his finger trapped in a steel door we were both in the nurses office and he said it hurts punch me over and over after i declined many a time so i lightly as possible my arm wasn't even straight tapped his arm then he said "if you ever touch me again i'll kill you" So then i stood up and punched him and sure enough he backed down like a little bitch.

[Pete]

I think the biggest thing with high school, and life in general is that people break balls, but don't necessarily do it to be mean; it's just how people talk to each other. Some people can handle it, some dish it right back, and others freak out and shoot up the school.

Physical violence on the other hand, is not too cool.

[Halie]

I was picked on during the first two years of high school when I started hanging around with this girl and we both went through a bit of a bratty emo phase (well, I grew out of it but she's still a bratty emo). I was very quiet and withdrawn, I was mocked because of how I dressed and what I listened to, etc. To be honest I can understand being mocked for what I wore, I looked positively awful and I cringe whenever I look at photos from those two years. I don't agree with mocking people because of what they wear, but it seems to me that kids need someone to bully and they'll pick at anything, and with the way I looked I was basically handing them a reason haha.

But at the time I really didn't care how I looked and what they thought of me, and I think my classmates saw that and I think they weren't brave enough to express themselves like I did which I think is also why they picked on me a little bit. I'm glad I went through that phase because I learned from it, but they were all too afraid to try different stuff. I could be wrong, but I'd rather look at it that way lol.

If I were to give advice to somebody who's being bullied, I'd say just talk to people more. Don't be so afraid to talk to your classmates and be friendly with them because at the end of the day you're all going through the same thing so even if you think you're different, they're actually the people you can relate to the most. Now that I've finished high school, I'd like to go back and do it again and if I could I'd take that advice, I wouldn't be so shy.

[RamesesII]

Verbal bullying is the in thing nowdays isn't it.
I wasn't really bullied because I knew everyone at school well in my grade anywho and was good friends with some of the older kids plus it was handy having my older brother there who was quite well known not as a bully but as the school rebel with his mates getting into all sorts of mischief.

I have done a fair bit of teasing back in my day I am not proud of it now and I teach my kids not to tease etc but like I said mostly verbal bullying these modern times.

[Block]

By the time I reached high school I was so sick of getting picked on that I just told everyone to go **** themselves. That move right there made me quite popular in high school and I earned a lot of respect from my peers. Just say **** it and ignore people who are douche bags.