I Was Bullied for Being Me

Growing up, school was a miserable time in my life. I was bullied all the way through, for how I looked, for differences that were completely out of my control. I was bullied for being me.

I was pushed mentally, emotionally, physically. I avoided school every chance I got. Over time I went numb to it, and some pretty unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms crept in to fill the space where support should have been. All I felt underneath it was lost.

Here’s what I know now that I didn’t then: bullying isn’t really about the person being bullied. Bullies act out for all sorts of reasons, things going on at home, trauma, wanting to feel a sense of power they don’t have anywhere else. Understanding that doesn’t excuse it. But it did help me stop asking “what’s wrong with me” and start asking “what’s going on with them.”

About one in three students worldwide experience bullying at school. That’s not a handful of unlucky kids. That’s a normal part of childhood for millions of people, and it shouldn’t be.

What I wish had existed for me was an education system that took a real stance instead of a poster on a wall. Proactive programs. Adults who taught kids healthy ways to handle big feelings instead of lashing out. Classrooms where it felt safe to say “this is happening to me” out loud.

If you’re being bullied right now: speak up. Don’t shrink. Don’t run from it. Learn to advocate for yourself and tell people exactly what you need, because staying quiet is what let it go on for me for far too long.

Were you ever bullied? What do you wish an adult had done differently?

If you never learned how to speak up for yourself as a kid, it’s not too late. Self Advocacy Unleashed teaches exactly that. Join the waitlist, link in bio.

Madeleine x