You Become Distrustful
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When you become a victim to bullies, you end up taking it out on everyone else, even the people who you love, value and respect. You end up being distrustful of the people around you, and assume that like your bullies, people are just out to get you.
End Up In Fights
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Sometimes the bullies get exactly what they want from you, a reaction. This means that you end up in confrontation, which can lead to physical fighting. This ends up getting you in trouble, rather than the bullies, so it really isn't worth it at all.
You Get Upset
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In the end, after constant abuse and worrying, it can all get a bit too much. This leads us to break down every so often and sometimes have a cry. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but can lead to yet more teasing and leave us feeling quite deflated.
Dreading The Locker Room
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I don't know about you, but the locker room at school always seemed to be the natural habitat of the bully. Maybe it is because everyone feels vulnerable in there? Some people can handle it, and some people clearly can not, which is probably what leads them to bullying.
Nerves
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Once you become a victim of bullying, you end up becoming a bag of nerves. This reduces you to a shell of the person you were before the bullying, and your friends and family may start to pick up on this. it is important to be open and honest about what is happening.
Authority Don't Care
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Everyone always says that if you are being bullied, you should tell someone in authority. This might be HR or a teacher. It always seems that when you do go to someone, they don't really care unless you give them a reason to. This is normally why fights occur.
Work Issues
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Getting bullied at a place of work is actually more common than you would think, and can normally be quickly solved in a meeting or just a few simple emails. However, sometimes it is necessary to go to your manager or even human resources to get things resolved.
Bathroom Worries
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If we have learned anything from the Hollywood movies, it is that all of the bullies hang out in the toilets (because that is of course the coolest place to hang out)! This does however cause anxiety and makes a normal experience a lot more stressful.
Crowds
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A large crowd is a nerve wracking experience for a lot of people anyway, so if you have been a victim of bullying then crowds are made even worse. A large crowd leaves you constantly looking over your shoulder and worrying about the worst that can happen.
A Few Close Friends
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Even if you are being bullied, chances are you will have a few close friends who can help and support you. It is important to rely on these friends and not shut them out, even when you are feeling your lowest. They will know how you feel and want to help.
Canteen
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Going to a communal eating space can seem daunting if you are a victim of bullying, however it is vital to remember that no one should prevent you from looking after yourself. If possible, go to the canteen with some close friends who can watch your back.
Feeling Alone
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Feeling alone is completely normal if you are being bullied, but it is important to remember that it will not last forever and things will get better. Although it can seem like you might end up lonely forever, the feeling passes and the bullying will stop.
Going To College
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Going to college can be a great way to escape bullies from high school, however some bullying can actually begin at college. This is more rare, as many people that go to college are more grown up and focus on education rather than petty name calling.
Corridors
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The corridors are a necessary evil, we need to get between classes and meetings, but we don't want to leave the safety of where we are. Corridors may seem like prime bullying locations, but chance are many people are more focused on themselves rather than you.
Classrooms
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A classroom is often where most bullying takes place. The long and often boring lessons lead to bullies getting bored, resulting on them picking on people. Try and focus on your lesson or teacher, and your bully will get bored, resulting in them leaving you alone.
Words Hurt
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Everyone has heard the age old saying, 'sticks and stones might break my bones but words will never hurt me'. Whilst this is a good attitude to have, words and abuse are harmful to our mental health, so it is important to try and make sure that you don't let it get to you.
Hanging Out
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A bully can stop you from participating in the things that you love to do, like hanging out with friends. Hanging out with your buddies is actually the best way to combat bullying, so don't let bullies prevent you from doing the things you enjoy doing!
Rushing Home
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Everyone who has been bullied knows that feeling of rushing home. We try and leave wherever we are to reach the safety of home as quickly as possible, usually blowing off friends and resulting in a lack of social life. This is super mentally draining.
Hiding
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Hiding from a bully can feel like you have admitted defeat and given up, but it is a totally natural response. Humans tend to either fight or flight, meaning we end up in physical confrontation with a bully, or we run and hide away from them... known as flight.
Working Alone
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Working on your own is another bad side effect of being bullied. Once we have been bullied our trust in others goes down, and some people begin to view you as an easy target for abuse. Although this can be soul destroying, working on your own is the best way to protect yourself.
Why Me?
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Once you have been picked on by a bully, you are often left thinking, 'why me?' This is a common thought process, and usually there is no reason. Sometimes a bully will pick on differences, like hair color of hobbies, but differences like these are what make us individuals.
The Bus
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Taking the school bus or other public transport often feels like you are taking a step into a lawless land. The lack of authority figures on transport systems mean that the bullies tend to take advantage. You might also find that they try and show off to their friends.
Projects
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A group project is like Kryptonite to an introvert, and made even worse if you are a victim of bullying. Public speaking is already nerve racking, and the feeling is made ten times worse knowing that your project will be judged and laughed at by a bully.
Staying In Bed
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A bully often leads their victims to feel depressed and sad. This feeling of depression results in us wanting to stay in bed and not undertake our daily tasks. This is self destructive behavior, so it is important to focus on yourself and not the bullies.
Realizing It Doesn't Matter
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One of the most important things to remember when you are being bullied is that it will get better. Most of us experience bullying at one point or another, usually in school. Once you grow up and a few years have passed, life tends just to get better and better.
Loss Of Appetite
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Feelings of sadness and depression are commonly associated with a loss of appetite. This is totally natural, and it is key to remember to keep eating something even when you don't feel like eating. This keeps your strength up and prevents us from getting ill.
Checking Your Phone
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Checking your phone when you are being bullied is yet another self destructive habit that we find hard to break. Thanks to mobile phones and social media, bullying no longer just takes place in person, and cyber bullying is more common now than ever.
Can't Focus
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When you are being bullied, it is all you can think about. You dread every social interaction for fear that you will be a victim of yet more bullying. They keep you awake at night thanks to threats or a days worth of physical violence. It's hard to remember, but it will pass.
Overthinking
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When we overthink, we look too deeply into the most mundane decisions, like what jacket to wear or what we should get for lunch. This means that the bully is inside your head, and it is crucial to remember to be your own person and just focus on yourself.
Being A Loner
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Becoming a bit of a loner is a natural unwelcome side effect of being bullied. When we do get bullied, our trust in other people massively decreases so we naturally end up spending more time alone. This behavior is self destructive and leads us to feel even worse.