When growing up my parents taught me to stand up to bullies. (We’re talking about verbal abuse and manipulation, not physical bullying.) Following that advice as a kid led to mixed results yet it’s stuck with me into my adult years.
These days though, using this advice only seems to backfire. When I give them what they’ve given me, the bullies just get more angry and use that to justify their continued bullying. They see themselves as the victim.
Any suggestions that would be more helpful?
Your bully is not bullying you because you’re ugly, or because you’re a nerd, or because you’re an idiot. They’re bullying you because you have no friends. Any person with no friends are vulnerable to bullying.
People keep telling us to ignore them, but it’s not so simple when you don’t have much to distract you. The bully feels more comfortable bullying the kid with no friends because nobody is looking after them.
I’m a victim of bullying in school. I’m not necessarily a nerd, and my looks aren’t much less than average. My only weakness is having no friends. So, the easiest way to escape bullying is by making more friends.