Harsh Words...How To Ignore Them

Being on the short end of the stick myself, I’ve felt the sting of bullying. It’s hard to overcome the frequent stares, the pointing, and the name-calling. I’ve never been one of the skinny girls at school, and people noticed that when I was younger. Some thought it would be funny to lower my self-esteem with their hurtful words and comments and, for a while, it worked.

I’ve grown to realize that the people who choose to bully others are more insecure about themselves than anything else. They put down the “weaklings” to make themselves look tough and untouchable to people around them. They crave attention. They think that they’ll look “cool” if they degrade someone else. The kid they pick on, most of the time, makes the bully jealous in some way, and that’s why they’re the target. Maybe the bully is insecure because his grades aren’t the best? Maybe his house isn’t the biggest? Maybe his clothes aren’t the nicest? Maybe he, too, was bullied and decides to bully other kids to make himself feel better? Ultimately, the bully feels inferior and therefore puts someone else down so he can feel on top of the world.

The best way that I can think of to avoid bullying is to do just that; ignore them. A bully feeds on hurting people, and if their victims show no response, they have nothing to gain. Act confident and brave, even if you don’t necessarily feel that way at the time. Don’t show them that what they said hurt, or they’ll continue. If picking on someone doesn’t give them the power they’re looking for, they’ll give up. If the bully is physical, travel in pairs or groups. One bully can’t take on multiples effectively. There will also be witnesses in case someone gets hurt and an adult needs to be notified. No matter what the bully says or does, they will be the ones getting in trouble. Unless you threw a punch, you can’t get in trouble for standing up for yourself.

If you’re bullied and you show confidence at an earlier age, it’s easier to ignore hurtful words when they’re thrown at you. I wish I had when I was younger because it affected me for years afterwards. I’ve grown to love myself the way I am and I don’t let what people say get to me.

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