I was bullied, trying to think back it went something like this. In UK
Primary school latter years a few kids made comments and I was picked last for PE but in generaly I wouldnt consider it bullying at that stage.
Secondary school, this is when my bullying started, however it was generally non existant out of class most of time and in some classes non existant. Also was mainly limited to a few people hassling me. However as I progressed towards the end of the 3 years more people started having pops at me. It was rarely physical stuff like been hit, mostly verbal and physical stuff liek pulling my trousers down and painting tippex on my face.
College (gcse school). It completely exploded, in my form group nothing happened, but in various classes and especially now at breaks etc. I was heavily bullied, I truanted a LOT. I would say at least 50% of the time.
Primary was years approx 8-11 years old.
Secondary 12-14
College 15-16.
The bullying was non existant outside of school, even if I met people in the street who bullied me outside of school hours they left me alone or even was friendly to me. Certian people who used to be my friend in primary school generally didnt join in but they didnt stick up for me either, they just stayed neutral.
In both secondary and college schools the teachers were non sympathetic, generally they didnt do anything. In college one day I didnt have a pen and the teacher told me to ask around the class for one and then left the room when I had to do it, been well aware almost the entire class was bullying me and my only friend in the class was off sick. Luckily a girl gave me a pen.
I almost got out of it although im not sure.
Basically one of my friends was in a gang and I think he persuaded me to let me hang out, they genuinly seemed to act as friends, never ever bullying me during this time. although I was bored hanging out with them I did it to ease my school life. But one day I refused to do stuff with them outside of school, and suddenly its like "you let us down" "you not our friend". I started hanging out with them in college also even tho they now rejected me simply because I had noone else and sat with them at lunch even tho they were mocking me as I thought better than been alone.
I am not sure at what point it went wrong, at primary school I had a fair few friends, used to hang around with at least 10 or so people. When primary school was almost ended I was out with one of those friends and we got beaten up by a gang somewhere, and his dad didnt like me, its quite possible he was told to stop hanging out with me after that. When starting secondary school as may expect people got split up and secondary school also took kids on from rougher areas, my class had 2 of my primary school friends in it, one was the one who stopped hanging out with me, and the other is who I sat with. Most people were in groups of 3 or 4. Our group was just 2. In the class it was only one group who really did most of the bullying, but it was enough to give me the reputation I had and things went on from there.
Now my view is if someone is getting bullied, it has to be nipped in the bud quickly, so when it started at my secondary school, if I did something about it early on, I may have nipped it in the bud. But I didnt. I believe once it gets bad enough and enough people get involved, its not solvable, unless a miracle happens eg. a tough gang taking the victim in and the gang protects him/her. but generally school gangs dont want weak people. I did befriend someone who had a gang (was my neighbour) but the problem was he was 2 years older than me, so after the first year of secodnary school he was gone. I only asked for his help right at the end of the first year.
One of my best friends (n a different class) also got bullied at secondary school, his parents did something about it tho. They moved to a different better area, so he got a new start, he got billied again, in his 3rd school he did ok tho and escaped it. I think a new school is the only real way to escape but it doesnt mean it wont start again, as been a new kid in a class is tough and also kids home in on nervousness and fear.
Best day of my life when I finished school, when I went back to the college to get gcse results and all kids were there, its like they all had personailty transplants, not one ill word or action done/said to me. The kids who used to bully me at lunch were talking to me as if I was there friend.
Now I am an adult its a different world. whilst bullying can exist in the workplace, from my experience its nothing as near as brutal as school bullying can be. Generally people are more mature and as such if anything does happen people are more likely to step in. I have not really been bullied since leaving school, or at least I never had anything that I consider bullying, only one guy in my first job who occasionally mocked me but was only occasional and he stopped after a few months.
Its fair to say tho my childhood experience has had an effect on my entire life, its affected my self confidence, how I am in social situations and it wrecked my grades. In primary school I was A+ on almost everything, secondary I still was doing well, was put in all the top groups. But in college it all went to crap due to the bullying, I think I managed a few C's and rest D's and E's I even had some ungraded as truanted some exams. I may have done ok in the actual exams as the intelligence was still there, but the grades also affected my coursework, most of which I missed.
If I had a guess I think bullying is probably worse now days due to the social media been existant. People with phones in class can take photos etc. of victims and it can spread around, I can imagine that sort of thing goes on now.
Incase it wasnt clear in college it was almost the entire school year bullying me, it was extremely bad. I must have had one hell of a reputation.
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